Keeping the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) out of the ports contravenes the enabling Act of the organisation and exposes Nigerians to influx of fake, substandard and harmful products.
Nigeria has had cause to grapple with substandard importation owing to an executive decision by the Goodluck Jonathan’s government sacking Standards Organisation of Nigeria from the ports.
The action, though upheld by the Muhammadu Buhari government, is unlawful going by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Act 2015 as amended.
Section 30(1) of the Act which deals on “Powers to Enter Premise” says, “For the purposes of carrying out the functions of the organisation under this Act, the Director General, other officer or employee of the organisation or any other person authorised by him in writing
(a) may stop and search any vehicle which he reasonably believes may contain any article or product or material or goods that is in contravention of this Act;
“(b) shall have a right of access at reasonable times to any premises including all Nigerian seaports, airports and land borders where an industrial or commercial undertaking is being carried out and may use reasonable force, if need be, to gain entry…”
The then Minister of Finance and Head of the Economic Management Team (EMT), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in 2011 ordered the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and other eight federal agencies out of the ports, saying the action is aimed at reducing cost of doing business in Nigerian ports as well as eliminating alleged delays caused by the multiple government agencies at ports.
Okonjo-Iweala said this while addressing port industry stakeholders after touring the Lagos ports during one of her visits to Lagos.
She then said the decision to prune down the number of government agencies in the ports from 14 to just four was ordered by President Goodluck Jonathan, who according to her, has expressed his determination to ensure that the Nigerian ports start working like others elsewhere in the world.
Government directed that SON and other agencies of government affected by the order to vacate the ports should only come in upon invitation.
Even when the rule was relaxed for other government agencies initially affected like the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), it was not so for SON.
Many stakeholders have argued that Nigeria was an import dependent economy and the seaports account for over 90 percent of importation into the country thereby necessitating adequate security and regulation for citizens safety and well-being.
CALLS FOR SON RETURN TO PORT
There have been calls by several industry stakeholders including lawmakers from the National Assembly, demanding the return of SON to the ports as provided in it’s enabling law.
The Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Industries have joined in the call seeking to return the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to the seaports.
It said in other climes, standard regulatory bodies are well represented at the ports to check the quality of goods before they gain entrance into their various markets, saying that Nigeria cannot be left out of this trend.
The immediate past Chairman, Senate Committee on Industries, Late Senator Bayo Osinowo who spoke during an oversight visit to SON laboratory complex in Ogba Lagos ,said it was necessary that the organisation returns to the ports.
Osinowo said, “It is unfortunate that SON is not at the port, when we set SON up, it was to monitor all the standards of the products produced and imported into the country, but when we found out that SON was not at the port, we have decided to address this by looking into it and amending it because there must be an office for you at the ports for you to carry out your mandate effectively.”
The legislature will look into the matter and amend it where necessary,” he said.
He said the purpose of the oversight function was to assess the level of work done by SON after being appropriated public funds to carry out their mandate to improve lives through quality assurance.
“The purpose of coming here is to see for ourselves and do appraisal of SON activities, especially on your projects. We came to see how you have utillised and managed the funds given to you. I must confess that going by what I have seen so far, I am very impressed with the level of work done so far. We are ready to support SON to ensure that all the projects in the laboratory must be completed soon,” he said.
According to the senator, if supported, SON will help to boost the manufacturing sector of the economy while also eradicating poverty by creating job opportunities for the nation’s teeming unemployed youths.
The Founder, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, has called on the Federal Government to ensure that Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, returns to all seaports across Nigeria, as a matter of urgency.
Aniebonam said this while addressing participants at a one-day maritime stakeholders sensitisation workshop in Lagos.
He added, “At this point, we commend SON for working tirelessly to curtail influx of fake and substandard products into Nigeria.
“SON is doing a lot to save lives of Nigerian consumers. SON must return to all the seaports immediately, to prevent these killer products from entering our markets through the seaports”.
He pointed out, “When officials of SON are at the seaports, they will track these harmful goods right there”.
IMPACT OF SON’S ABSENCE FROM PORTS
Absence of SON officials from the ports has led to reducing chances of hundred percent discoveries of substandard importation into the country.
Fake and substandard life threatening products have resulted in deaths and loss of valuables of buyers and users of such products.
Substandard tyres have resulted to auto accidents , causing deaths, permanent disabilities and destruction of vehicles as well as other valuables.
Fake and substandard cables have accounted for electric fires also causing deaths, burning of properties and other forms of destruction.
Substandard iron rods were alleged to have contributed to some building collapse resulting to loss of properties worth billions of Naira.
Buyers have had cause to spend more when they purchased fake gadgets because such things don’t last and they are made to return to buy again.
This magazine discovery points to the reality that most of these products came into Nigeria through the ports using false declaration and compromising port officials of other government security and regulatory agencies.
