SON Cracks Down on Fake Electrical Products in Jos

By Seriki Adinoyi

As part of its efforts to rid the Nigerian market of sub-standard goods, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on Thursday seized substandard foreign electric cables worth millions of naira in Jos/Bukuru metropolis of Plateau State, sealing off affected shops.

Mr. George Musa, Plateau Coordinator of SON, who led the raid on the shops, said that the exercise, which would be continuous, was aimed at ridding the country of fake and substandard products, noting that the organisation started with electric cables because electric cable is one of the products categorized as life-endangering.

He said that Nigeria has one of the best, if not the best, cables in the world and wondered why people patronize substandard imported ones.

“If substandard electric cables are used to wire a house and there is a problem of power surge, the cable easily yields and melt down because they are mainly made from iron with very low resistance compared to copper, Musa added that it can even lead to fire outbreak and destroy the whole building.”

He stated that the sealed shops would remain sealed until SON finishes its investigation and gets an approval from its head office to reopen the shops.

“It will not end with the sealing of the shops, those whose offences are grievous would be taken to court and prosecuted according to the law.We are doing this because people are dying from the use of substandard products.”

He stated that the seized cables would not be returned to the owners but would be destroyed after conclusion of investigation.

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