SON - We’ll Rid Nigeria of Fake Products

We say AMEN!!!, though we are yet to see any sign on ground. Chinese and other low quality products seem to have overun the country

Culled from THISDAY

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Chairman, Governing Council of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, (SON) Dr. Samuel Ortom, has said the regulatory body would step on toes in making sure that the country was rid of sub-standard products.
He said: “Once you have accepted the responsibility to serve, you should be willing to accept the risk that is involved in this matter and from day one I did say that in doing this job, we must step on people’s toes, we do not care who the big names may be.
He said, in addition to the reduction of sub-standard goods which he traced to China and to other parts of the world, the organisation has initiated the process of signing an agreement with the government of China to enssure the quality of products being exported from that country to Nigeria.
He also said this would require that China henceforth takes full responsibility for the assurance of the quality of all goods to be exported to Nigeria. He said the agreement had been concluded and will be signed shortly and put into effect in the overall interest of the Nigerian economy and the people.
Ortom noted with dissatisfaction that the high incidence of dumping of sub-standards products on Nigeria has for many years impoverished the citizens and put the local industries at a disadvantage.
He said SON has handed over the importers and distributors of 4000 sub-standard Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders into the country that were recently apprehended to the police for prosecution in the law court. He said the destruction of the cylinders will follow immediately after the court verdict.
To meet up the challenge of human capacity in stemming the scourge of fake and sub- standards goods, Ortom said SON has began an internal re-engineering which will be on going to enhance its ability to be more proactive in serving the Nigerian people.
He also said the governing council had gotten approval to employ additional 200 technical staff who are professionals in their various fields so as to address the dire shortage in personnel need of the organisation. He said the process for the engagement of the staff had begun. To further strengthen its capacity, he pointed out that regional offices have also been created with deputy directors overseeing them.
In his remark, Director General, SON, Dr. John Akanya, said the organisation has finalised arrangements to engage two additional experienced programme management companies, including Societe Generale de Surveillance and TRG Rheinland to complement the efforts of Intertek International Service in the worldwide management of its off-shore Conformity Assessment Programme.
The DG said the engagements of the two companies would provide a wider scope of coverage for the programme and the infusion of additional technical competence into the programme management which will substantially help in tracking and eliminating fake goods.