SON reads riot act to traders of sub-standard products

THE Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has read the riot act to traders at the popular Ladipo Auto Spare Market to rid their shelves of substandard automotive parts. The agency also emphasised the need for the traders to embrace self-regulation.The warning was handed down by the Director General of SON, Mr. Joseph Odumodu at an interactive session with the traders led by the President of Ladipo Auto Central Executive Committee (LACEC), Mr. Iyke Animalu.Odumodu while addressing the leadership of the LACEC explained that self-regulation remained the best form of tackling the issue of unwholesome and substandard products, hence the need for LACEC to embrace the strategy.'You are the ones that know your members because you have their record and also relate with them on a daily basis. I will advice you that you circulate the message across that wherever we find substandard products in any part of this market, we will not hesitate to remove them,' he warned.Represented by the Director in charge of Enforcement, Mr. Louis Njoku, Odumodu lamented that influx of substandard products into the country was costing the nation huge loss of revenue while also taking a negative toll on the economy.The SON boss explained that the agency was in the market to collaborate with LACEC on how best to move the market forward without necessarily hurting their business interest in as much as they are equally committed to the cause of the agency to rid the country of substandard products.On substandard tyres popularly labelled Tokunbo, the Odumodu reiterated that the four year ban on tyre was still in force, hence it remained an offence for them to continue to trade in Tokunbo tyres, which he said, had sent a lot of people to untimely deaths.'We have a presidential directive to rid the markets across the country of substandard products, tyres inclusive. We have had enough deaths, and we cannot continue like this. Enough is enough. Anywhere we find substandard tyres in this market, we will confiscate them,' he warned.Responding, Animalu lauded the resolve of SON to partner with LACEC to rid the country of substandard products, stressing that LACEC under his leadership would ensure that traders in the market complied with the directive of SON.To achieve the feat of eradicating the market of substandard products, Animalu pleaded with SON to extend the deadline of eradicating the market of substandard products beyond tomorrow, so as to properly educate its members on new direction of SON.'But beyond that, SON should ensure that these products don't find their way into the country in the first place. They should be tracked from the country of origin or at the respective seaports and land borders.
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