The Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mr. Osita Aboloma has given thumbs up to the National Assembly for empowering the agency to combat the influx, production, and distribution of substandard products in the country.
According to him, the passage of the SON Act 14 of 2015 has provided the leeway for the organisation to prevent suspected substandard products from circulation even while investigations to ascertain the compliance to relevant standards is being carried out.
Mr. Aboloma commended the general provisions in the new SON Act giving the agency the power to prosecute perpetrators of substandard products manufacture, importation, and distribution while also providing stiffer penalties for convictions including jail terms. The Act also empowers SON to seize and dispose of non-compliant products including through destruction, he said.
Aboloma stated these while inspecting seized substandard products at the SON warehouse in Lagos, stressing that the National Assembly had in words and deeds shown great commitment to the eradication of substandard products in the country.
The SON Director General described substandard products as a serious social and economic challenge which require the concerted efforts of all patriots to contend with in addition to the provision of adequate financial resources, manpower, and technology deployment.
Aboloma said his agency was strengthening its internal mechanisms to combat substandard products head on and urged all Nigerians to join hands with SON in order to create greater opportunities for genuine and certified locally manufactured products to thrive.
This will improve capacity utilization, create massive employment opportunities and a more robust economy for the Nation, he said.
The SON Chief Executive described as unfounded recent insinuations of undermining or casting the National Assembly in a bad light, adding that nothing could be further from the truth.
He affirmed his high respect for members of the National Assembly particularly in the course of their oversight functions on Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, adding that such are aimed at making Nigeria a better place to live.
The SON DG said there are abundant evidence of the sterling contributions of the National Assembly to the course of the country’s developmental strides, stressing that no right-thinking person would undermine such.
He referred to recent assurances from the leaderships of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Industry to the SON as evidence of the National Assembly’s full backing to his agency to deliver on its mandate to Nigerians.
Mr. Aboloma expressed his appreciation for the collaborative efforts existing between the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the National Assembly in the bid to improve the lives of Nigerians through Standards.
The SON DG then pledged his total commitment to protecting the lives and properties of Nigerians as well its economy using the instruments of standardization and quality assurance.