By Uche Usim
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Tin Can Island Port Command has handed over three 20-ft containers laden with substandard electrical cables to officials of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
The containers marked DFSU 15560022G1, TEMU 30756522G1 and CCLU 28411422G1 were loaded with the substandard electrical cables imported but made to appear as if they were produced locally by a reputable company, Kablemetal Nigeria Limited.
Speaking during the handover to SON’s representative, Suleiman Isa on Friday, the Customs Area Controller of Tin Can Island Port, Yusuf Bashar said the containers were detected during a routine inspection and were immediately impounded.
He also described the feat as a product of inter-agency collaboration, even as he assured that the command will not rest on its oars to facilitate legitimate trade and protect the nation’s economy.
“Three 20-ft containers containing offending cables were imported into the country by a trader. But we discovered it is coming with an ulterior motive. Electrical cables made in Nigeria are applauded locally and internationally. So, the importer and trader know that bringing substandard ones with the name of a reputable local firm would certainly sell. So, that was the intention; to deceive people but we all know using substandard electrical cables is disastrous. We see hotels, houses, companies and all important edifices engulf in fire. Some of them are caused by faulty cables. So, we cannot allow this economic sabotage and risk to lives”, he said.
Bashar also urged the SON to hasten up with the automation of its procedures to make monitoring and compliance with standards much easier.
“The automation is key. It’ll make our job easier. We can follow up on manifest and all that. But we’ll also sustain the existing inter-agency cooperation. It’s a good development because we synergize on all fronts. It’s SON’s duty to ensure quality of what we use or consume in Nigeria. So, we’re handing over these materials to them for further investigation in order to get to the root of the matter. So, feedback is necessary and we expect to get it. We’ve always handed over impounded materials to the agency in charge of such impounded material. It’s part of the inter-agency collaboration”, he said.
In his response, SON’s Deputy Director Enforcement and Compliance, Suleiman Isa extolled the Customs for the support, even as he assured that the existing relationship will be cemented.
Isa also revealed that SON’s automation and e-clearance procedures are 95 per cent completed, pointing out that a full investigation into the offensive import has begun.
“These materials are suspected to be substandard. We’ve learnt of fire and and other disasters and things like these are the cause. We’ll do a laboratory analysis on these materials and take them to our premises for further actions”, he stated.