Follow Us on Google
By Steve Agbota, Lagos
The Director-General of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has said that the importation of substandard goods is responsible for the high rate of insecurity in the country.
Speaking yesterday during a maritime stakeholders sensitisation forum in Apapa with the theme: ‘Standards Save Lives Grow Economy’, said that Nigeria cannot survive with the influx of substandard goods imported into the country, adding that substandard goods are killing the nation’s economy.
He said when people bring in substandard or prohibited products even when such person has $10 billion, there are criminals, bandits and cultists who may collect such products from them.
‘The point of this gathering is to make sure is try to sensitise each other in what we look out for. When we take any product as substandard, we are not here to spoil anybody’s products, we are doing it to protect your business and the people that buy the products,’ he said.
‘In other climes, when you buy a product and sell it to the public and the public get injured or they don’t get satisfaction to the product, you would get sued. When you get sued, you lost a lot of money, sometimes, they take you to jail.
‘In Nigeria, we have it develop to that level. We have the laws but we have not developed to the level where some will go and buy substandard cable and sell it to Nigerians and fire spreads out because of that cable and the whole family perishes and die.’
He said nobody tracks the sellers of that product, arrests that person, and charges him with manslaughter, adding that Nigeria has not developed to that level and that is why businessmen think their business is to make money.
He urged the stakeholders to engage genuine in bringing in quality products into the country, adding that if substandard goods continue to come into the country, the local manufacturers and industries would be destroyed.
Salim noted that the essence of sensitisation with stakeholders is to communicate and share views on how to make businesses more efficient.
Meanwhile, the Vice President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Dr Kayode Farinto, said that if the country must win the war against the importation of sub-standard goods in the country, there is a need to return SON back to the seaports.
Farinto while delivering a topic: ‘Juxtaposing Substandard Imports SON’s Absence At Seaport,’ informed that SON has vacated the seaports about a few years ago, with the intention of the government to allow the Agency do the role of regulation outside the ports, he said the increase in the imports of sub-standard goods and the effort of some nonconformist has shown that there is need to reverse the executive decision if the nation must win the war against the importation of sub-standard goods in the country.
The ANLCA vice president noted that if the trend is not arrested urgently by providing a solution, then it may affect the economy and dwindle the nation’s income drastically. He stressed that the absence of SON as a regulatory Agency in the ports encourages the importation and smuggling of sub-standard products.
Farinto while urging freight forwarders said if ‘we must achieve ease of doing business, then freight forwarders, Licensed Customs Brokers, should do away with dishonesty in its declaration, such as concealment, inaccurate description of imports and exports etc, in order to circumvent the procedures, which he described as an impediment to achieving ease of doing business.’
On his part the President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Chief Tochukwu Ezisi who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Rev. Emma Agunbaze urged SON to engage stakeholders more, he noted that engaging with stakeholders is key to improving accountability within the organisation as well as external audiences.
He further said stakeholders’ engagement will further ensure proper consideration of interests while commending SON for embracing the ease of doing business in the country.
