With the destruction of another batch of sub-standard goods worth N500 million by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on Tuesday, the total worth of sub-standard goods destroyed by the agency in 2014 has hit N5 billion.
According to SON, the action is expected to serve as a deterrent to unscrupulous importers who still indulge in illicit trade activities.
Director General, SON, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, said come 2015, the agency would intensify its war against sub-standard products, maintaining that ?all hands are on deck to reduce the influx of such goods into Nigeria.
Odumodu who was represented by ?the Head of Inspectorate and Compliance, SON, Bede Obayi, during the destruction of the sub-standard goods at its dumpsite in Sagamu, Ogun State, stressed that the move by SON is to show its zero tolerance to sub-standard products and also serve as a deterrent to unscrupulous importers who do not mean well for the nation.
“We are also going to intensify our effort to ensure that these products do not find their way into the Nigeria market and also warned importers to desist from the act. You all a aware that these goods are imported by people who do not mean well for the country. We have told them that if they must bring in goods, it must be goods that meet the minimum requirements of the Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) that will give consumers value for their hard earned money,” he said.
“The total value of these substandard goods is over N500 million and this is not the first time we are destroying this year because since January till date, we have destroyed over N5billion worth of substandard goods in this country. If they do not rest, we will also not rest; we will continue to fight this act until we rid this country of substandard products,” he added.
According to him, the sub-standard products destroyed include, electric armored cables, tyres, expired supermarket breakfast cereals, extension sockets, mini led flashlights, rechargeable lamps, shaving sticks, mobile phones, stabilisers, engine oil, ?ball pens among others.
“We are destroying this huge volume of goods but creating jobs for people overseas because by the time we destroy these goods, we get nothing but economic loss. We are not happy destroying these products but if we can save the life of one Nigerian by burning these products, we have done something for this country and this is exactly the core mandate of our agency by showing zero tolerance for substandard goods in this country?,” he said.
He pointed out that the current administration will continue to show commitments to its zero tolerance policy and will also give a lot of awareness and enlightenment campaigns about the negative effects of these products in the country.
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