SON destroys substandard products worth several billions intercepted in Lagos markets

Abiola Seun The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), yesterday destroyed substandard electricity cables, low grade roofing sheets, stuffed new tyres, unapproved cigarettes, Engine oil and boxes of unapproved cigarettes imported into the country.Speaking to newsmen at the destruction site, the Director General, SON, Mallam Salim Farouk, who bemoaned the importation of substandard products by Nigerian importers with scarce foreign exchange, said the destroyed product worth several billions of naira.Salim disclosed that the importers, in connivance with foreigners, have continued to endanger the lives and properties of Nigerians in the quest to amass wealth, thereby, affecting the nation’s economy negatively.The SON DG said, “I am unhappy that a few Nigerians sometimes in collusion with foreigners continue to endanger the lives and properties of our people in the quest to amass wealth, thus affecting our nation’s economy negatively. “These products, slated for destruction includes substandard electric cables, engine oiL, LPG Cylinders, stuffed new tyres, substandard and unapproved cigarettes, as well as, substandard low grade roofing sheets worth billions of naira.”The SON DG, however, bemoaned the importation of substandard goods when Nigeria can boast of local industries that will provide employment, as well as, produce standard products for Indigenous usage.“Some manufacturing companies in Nigeria boast of the best quality electric cables and engine oil, but some unscrupulous people continue to import and distribute low grade, substandard and life threatening versions of these products in our markets.

“The dangers posed by these goods to the lives and properties of Nigerians, even if they are new, cannot be quantified. “We wil continue to say “no” to fake lubricants that destroy vehicles and industrial engines which in turn lead to vehicle failures. We will say no to substandard stuffed tyres that lead to road mishaps and avoidable downtime in industries and the consequential job loss.”He stated that the engine oil seized were fake as they failed the mandatory conformity assessment for quality assurance test.“The engine oils seized were either faked in the names of superior brands or concocted without the mandatory conformity assessment for quality assurance.

“SON in collaboration with relevant stakeholders have developed very stringent regulations for the production, importation and distribution of such products as LPG Cylinders, Cigarettes and automobile tyres, yet we still have unpatriotic Nigerians and their collaborators bombarding us with the worst versions of these products in the name of doing business. “They will continue to have SON to contend with and we shall not relent in apprehending them wherever they may be hiding by seizing their products and destroying them.

“The substandard products in focus today are intercepted at different locations and markets and we have subjected them to rigorous standard and perimeters tests in our laboratories which are enjoying global accreditations and they all failed. “Therefore, they cannot be allowed to continue to be distributed in the market because the lives and properties of every Nigerian is sacred and must be protected as provided in the SON Act No. 14 of 2015,” he stated.