BREAKING NEWS, Business
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The Standards Organisation of Nigeria is to partner with the Nigerian Police Force to protect maritme environment and curb influx of sub-standard good into the country to protect local industries and consumers
THE Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, is partnering the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, on information sharing management to curb the more than 90 per cent of fake and substandard products finding their way into the nation through the country’s ports and unmanned routes and borders.
Bede Obayi, director, compliance, SON, said the collaboration was also to deepen the NPF in handling cases of all SON regulated products suspected to be fake and substandard in its custody, saying that the mandate to declare a product standard or substandard falls under the agency’s core values and responsibility.
The effect of fake and substandard products on the nation leads to loss of valuable revenue, non-performance of products in the various economic spheres where they are applied resulting to reduction or stagnated economic performance. It also has bad consequences on local industries, causing loss of jobs and loss of lives and properties.
“Only a heart-to-heart collaboration between our organisations shall ensure that Nigerian consumers get value for their money spent on these goods in circulation. This will no doubt engender protection for our local industries and improvement of the national economy. Our visit today to the assistant inspector general, AIG, on maritime is another window of collaboration we have been getting from the police force.
“What we have seen is a man who is ready to move the country to the next level and also to ensure that substandard products are reduced to the barest minimum. We have also seen an ally who is ready to partner with us to ensure that the maritime sector is safe for everybody to operate to make Nigeria a safe haven for every Nigerian to operate,” he said.
Similarly, Muhammed Katsina, assistant inspector general, Maritime Police Command, emphasised the need for stronger collaboration to achieve a zero tolerance for substandard products. Katsina during a courtesy visit to SON office in Lagos, said, “The technicality of this event is very important and we are going to need the SON to achieve our mandate because they have the power to prosecute. I consider SON as a life partner and a dependable ally, a strategic partner to achieve our mandate to protect the maritime environment. We believe one agency cannot do it alone.
“The issue of substandard product is very worrisome when compared to other crimes we try to prevent as an agency of government. I am here today telling you as the AIG in charge of this to give a flourishing partnership. We are going to create a harmonious platform of understanding where there will be cross fertilisation of ideas to carry you along with our daily activities to ensure that the environment is safe for everyone to operate.”
He said most of the unscrupulous people who deal in fake and substandard goods smile to the bank, stressing that he has an uncompromising standard in the pursuit of high ethical organisational excellence to ensure the partnership achieves its set goal.
Meanwhile, the NPF handed over a container struck with spare parts and substandard tyres to SON for further investigations, saying that courtesy of its intelligence department, it intercepted the container, which he said came in from Dubai. “I hope all of us are going to be on board to clean up this great country. The journey has started and all hands are on deck. We must all have respect for this country. My office is open 24 hours of the day and we will also come to you at anytime for advice. We will refer matters relating to your area of jurisdiction to treat, prosecute and advice.”
According to him, a container of fake and substandard goods cost a revenue loss of about N600 million which would have been used to develop other areas calling for development.
He advised Nigerians not to patronise fairly used tyres even though unscrupulous dealers still persist in the nefarious act.
— Jun 20, 2016 @ 01:00 GMT
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