Again, SON Seeks Return to Ports, Destroys Substandard Cables, Tyres, Lubricants

Gilbert Ekugbe

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has sought its return back to the nation’s ports across the country, noting that the fight against fake and substandard goods is best fought at the nation’s point of entries.

SON stressed the need to combat the influx of these goods before they find their ways into the nation’s market.

The Director General, SON, Mallam Farouk Salim, at a destruction exercise of substandard cables, tyres, lubricants and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) gas cylinders in Lagos, assured that the agency would continue to improvise new measures to checkmate the preponderance of fake and substandard goods into the country.

“We have been arguing for a long time and all these products you are seeing are products that are imported into Nigeria. They came through the ports and they are smuggled through the ports. If we are in the ports, definitely, we will minimise the amount of damage done to this country. But most of these products were in the market already waiting to be sold to the customers. It will be much easier for our employees if we are able to be at the source of the import of these substandard products,” he added.

According to him, greedy importers are responsible for the preponderance of substandard goods in the country.

“It is all about profit. These unscrupulous dealers want to double their profits. These people are carrying out these nefarious activities in order to make more money. They could make money by importing standard goods, but they make more money importing substandard goods.

“Some of them do not understand the consequences of what they are doing, but some of them already know from the onset and go ahead because of they want to make money. We have secret information that some of these activities are financing a lot of insecurity in Nigeria,” he added.

Earlier, the president of Cable Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (CAMAN), Mrs. Bukola Adubi, said CAMAN has been having several conversations about how best to stop the menace, saying that adulteration has been hitting deep into manufacturers bottom lines.

“Some of us unfortunately have been blacklisted by some major companies because they seemingly bought cables from the market and it has had issues. So this is affecting our legacy, it is affecting our brands; it is affecting our bottom lines. So coming here to see what SON is doing is very heartwarming, “she said.