New Telegraph

SON uncovers 200 containers of substandard tyres

…Importers of seized substandard products to bear evacuation cost in feature –Salim

 

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) uncovered a warehouse in a remote area of Ogun State where 200 containers of substandard tyres were hidden.

 

This came as the standards body recently stated that purveyors are devising new methods by taking advantage of the vast nature of the country to warehouse substandard goods in remote areas.

The Director General, SON, Mallam Farouk Salim, who was represented by Mike Dakhing,

 

Director, Inspectorate and Compliance, SON when evacuation of the seized stuffedin tyre of 200 containers in Obafemi Owode Local Government, Ogun State was to ensure that the tyres do not find their ways into the nation’s market, stressing that the products have been tested and they all failed the critical parameters as a result of stuffing.

 

He said: “You may recall that few weeks ago, the Director General, Mallam Farouk blew open to the whole world the nefarious activities going on in this community and as you know he opposes fake and substandard products and any unwholesome activity that would encourage it because that is the mandate he has been given.

 

“Today we are here to evacuate these tyres which are the first stage in their destruction. It will interest you that we obtained the laboratory results after testing these tyres which they all failed. In our warehouse, we will await the necessary legal procedures that will enable us to destroy them.”

 

According to the SON top official, the evacuation and destruction would cost the agency much money, adding that the agency has been perfecting an act that would ensure the substandard products importer bear the cost.

 

Reacting to a question on why the tyres are classified as substandard, he said:

“The act of stuffing them into one another and instead of bringing them in different containers, compromises the quality of the tyres.

 

For example, if they are bringing 300 tyres in one container, they will now have the opportunity to bring in 1500 tyres and in doing that, this compromises the quality of the tyres and as you know the tyres are made of wires and carbon and the test reviewed that the textile strength of the tyres have been compromised so they are no more fit for use and this is why we are going to destroy them.

 

They may look nice in the eyes, but we rely on scientific investigation and analysis,”

 

Salim said. He assured that the agency would prosecute the unscrupulous importers of these tyres, stating that SON has a law that specifies the right type of punishments to be meted out on dealers of fake and substandard products in the country.

 

“We have a law that specifies what punishment would be meted out to the purveyors of this kind of illicit trade and we would go by that law, so after destroying these tyres, we will subject these unscrupulous importers to the provisions of the law,” he said.

 

He called on Nigerians to always support the agency by giving relevant information should they suspect any form of dubious activity in their locality, saying SON can’t be  everywhere to checkmate the preponderance of these products with no economic value.

 

“I would like to appreciate the tip off to this place, because we got this through intelligence reports. We crave for the indulgence of Nigerians and implore them to help us identify not only tyres, but all products that are dangerous to human lives and the environment.

We are calling on Nigerians to let us have any information because in line with our mantra which is “see something, say something”, the truth is that we cannot be everywhere if Nigerians do not help us we will not be able to address this issue headon,” he stressed.

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