The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has indicated interest to return to the country’s seaports to help control the influx of substandard products to the country.
Dr Paul Angya, SON’s Acting Director-General, indicated the interest at a stakeholders’ meeting on the enforcement of the ban on used tyres in Abuja on Friday.
“The reason they gave was to be able to fast track trade at the port to cut down the turnaround time.
“But with the consequences of SON leaving the ports, with the influx of substandard products which is almost over running Nigeria those reasons that they gave at that time, may have been germane at that time, but at this time they are no longer cogent.
“Because the consequences that we are suffering far outweighs any benefit from that decision and apart from that, as we speak, the present facility available to do the job are different and improved.
“And so there is no need for anybody to hold down any container at the port because things are largely digitised and computerised.
“So it’s time for the government to take SON back to the ports, so that it can do the job of policing the quality of products that are coming into Nigeria.
“So what we want the government to do is to reverse that decision of the last government and to call SON back to the ports so that SON can check the influx of substandard products into Nigeria.’’
Angya said that the most strategic place for SON to effectively prevent the inflow of substandard products was at the sea ports.
According to him, more than 90 per cent of products come through the ports.
According to him, the last administration through the Minister of Finance directed SON to leave the sea ports even though the law setting it up allows it to operate there.
Angya said there were quite a number of substandard products in almost everything being imported adding that more than 70 per cent of the products into the country did not meet SON’s specifications.
Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, FRSC Corps Marshal explained that the meeting was to fashion ways on the stakeholders decision reached at a meeting on the campaign on the use of tyres.
Oyeyemi said that the meeting agreed on a joint enforcement involving SON, FRSC, Customs Service, Department of State Service and the National Automobile Development Council.
He said that there would be training for all transport officers in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government in June, on the detection of fake and substandard tyres.
“FRSC will sustain its enforcement on the highway and with the support received from NURTW, no vehicle with expired or substandard tyres would be allowed to load at motor parks.’’
“From next week top FRSC officers will be on the highway to check these things, immediately after that, I will lead a team to impound any vehicle with substandard tyres.’’
Oyeyemi said that impounded vehicles would be allowed to buy original tyres while the number of the vehicle would be engraved on the tyres before they are released.
He corroborated SON’s agitation to return to the ports and appealed to government to consider the appeal.
Mr Aminu Jamal, Director-General, National Automobile Design and Development Council said that the council was working hard to ensure that there were standards for tyres.
Jamal said that training was ongoing to train vulcanizes nationwide on the use of tyres.