The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has reiterated its commitment to the safety of lives, consumer growth and expansion of the manufacturing industry and economic growth of the country.
The Director-General SON Mallam Farouk Salim restated this during an oversight inspection of substandard goods seized across the country by SON’s Surveillance, Intelligence and Monitoring Unit (SIM) and the Inspectorate and Compliance (ICD), at the agency’s warehouse in Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos.
The SON helmsman stated emphatically that the organisation is willing to collaborate with any company serious about building a tyre manufacturing factory in the country
According to Salim, “we will gladly give them all the cooperation they need, and also lobby the legislature and other agencies in the country to give them the same backing” he said.
The SON boss during the tour of the warehouse facility to ascertain the items recovered from unscrupulous importers, it was alarming to note the large number of substandard goods ranging from tyres, electrical cables roofing sheets, lubricants etc.
According to an inventory presented to the Chief Executive, a total of 2,717 bundles of substandard roofing sheets, 6,100 rolls of substandard cables, 200 pieces of stuffed tyres and 634 cartons of substandard expired cigarettes were seized, awaiting court order and destruction.
The DG stated that as a law-abiding agency, such action requires a court order before destruction can be fully implemented so that everything is done according to due process as stipulated in the SON Act 52 of 2015.
Incensed by the influx of substandard goods into the country, Salim urged consumers to be vigilant when buying items from the market and to report any suspicious product to SON for immediate action to ensure the safety of future consumers.
According to Salim, “We are not excited wasting peoples’ money but we do relish the idea of making sure that substandard goods are out of the market” he added.
At the inspection, site were some members of Management, including the Chief of Staff to the DG Prof. Kunle Olobayo, SSA/DG Chief Emeka Duru, Director ICD Dr Mrs Okunlola, D.D ICD, Engr. Enebi Onucheyo, Former SIM Coordinator (now Regional Director Lagos) Mr Isa Suleiman, Desk Officer Ports and Border Mr Sanni Mohammed and other SON Officials.
