SUBSTANDARD: SON Destroys LPG Cylinders, Aluminum Sheets Worth N450m

In line with the fight against fake and substandard import,the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on Tuesday, destroyed over 600 substandard LPG Cylinders, roofing sheets and aluminum sheets estimated at about N450 million.

Briefing newsmen at the destruction site in Lagos, Director General of SON, Osita Aboloma, said the products were seized mostly in warehouses across Lagos State, saying most of the commodities were imported into the country from China and Turkey respectively.

Aboloma , represented by the Director Compliance and Inspectorate Directorate of SON,Engineer Obiora Manafa, noted that the products were sized due to non conformity to standards and failure to SON’s laboratory test .

The SON boss said the commodities do not have SONCAP certificates , which implies that they are fake products not approved by SON for importation into Nigeria .

 

 

According to him, breakdown of the products which SON said were imported from China and Turkey, includes; 4×40 containers of LPG Cylinders of various sizes, 15 rolls of aluminum roofing sheets, and 15 bundles of fake corrogoted roofing sheets.

The DG said, destruction of the products was the only option available to SON, saying if the products are allowed to get into the market they would constitute serious danger to the lives and properties of Nigerians.

 

He pointed out that after the destruction of the products, they will be sold to recycling firms and the proceeds remitted to the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA).

“These products being destroyed today by SON have failed our laboratory test, as such they are substandard and dangerous to users. We are not happy destroying peoples goods, because it cost huge money, but we cannot compromise to save money and endanger the lives Nigerian citizens”

On how the product came into the country, he said: “Most of these products were discovered through SON raiding of warehouses and were found to be substandard.

“They did not come with SONCAP. And as you know SON is not in the ports , so it is difficult to really know from which source , seaports or border posts. Most of them , when we raid their warehouses, they will abandoned the goods and flee, no documents to show from which port they really came from”. Also, the suspects disappear once we intercept the products, but we continue investigation to arrest them.

He disclosed that after the destruction of the products, they will be sold to recycling firms and the proceeds remitted to the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA).

Also speaking, Engr. Nwaoma Olujie, Group Head, LPG, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, urged Nigerians to be wary of the LPG Cylinders they are buying in the market, saying what should be looked out for when buying are: Country of origin of the cylinder, address of the manufacturer and the date of manufacture.

“Those are the most important features of a genuine cylinder, anyone that does not have them is fake.

She further said that the lifespan of an LPG Cylinder is 15 years. “The period the cylinder lasted before you bought it inclusive”.

 

By Roland Ekama