SON warns manufacturers against prosecution over substandard products]
The Coordinator, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), in-charge of Rivers and Bayelsa, Mr Samuel Ayuba has warned manufacturers against producing and trading in substandard products to avoid prosecution.
Ayuba gave the advice on Monday, in Port Harcourt, at the presentation of 31 certificates to 27 different manufacturing companies, tagged : “SON Certification, a stimulant to industrialization growth.”
He said that the significance of the certification was to provide guarantees of safety and confidence to manufacturers and consumers in Rivers and Bayelsa, as well as the country at large.
He urged consumers to express dissatisfaction, through consumer complaint desks, on any substandard products sold to them in stores, markets or companies.
According to him, this would enable SON to prosecute manufacturers who refused to produce standard products in the country.
“This is so important because we will use the distributors to reach the companies where these products are manufactured and prosecute them for not complying to the Nigerian manufacturing standards.
“The coordinator noted that the Act gave SON the power to prosecute companies producing and trading in substandard products.
“The Director-General of SON approves the certification of these companies, while going through the process of certification, and this means that the companies have met the standards of certification.
“We urge them to maintain the standard in their various manufacturing companies to enable them compete in the global trade market,” Ayuba said.
In his speech, Mr Nwagbara Charles, SON South-South Regional Coordinator, said that the process of certification depended on the company’s involvement and readiness to meet the certification requirements.
Charles said that Nigeria loses more to substandard products smuggled into the country, because many of them did not go through the certification process.
He called on manufacturers to certify their products, to enable them compete with the standard trade in the global market, and to Nigerians to be vigilant so as to avoid buying fake products.
“We will be monitoring and visiting your companies unannounced to see if you are complying with the standard,” he added.
Furthermore, Mr Chibuzo Eze, a representative of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) advised companies to ensure they certify their products to meet with other competitors in the global market.
Eze assured SON of their support to see that products produced in the country were standard.
Also, Mr Mbakwem Longinus, the National Sales Coordinator of Greenville LNG, one of the certified companies, commended SON for its principles in following the process and ensuring that companies were certified after inspecting the completion of each trend.
Longinus added that the certification of any company gave it assurance in competing with other companies in quality, quantity and safety of the company.
