SON evacuates seized substandard tyres from Ogun

To sustain the current tempo on unwholesome products across the country, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has evacuated substandard tyres from a warehouse located in a remote area in Ogun State.

The Director General, SON, Mallam Farouk Salim, who was represented by Mike Dakhing, Director, Inspectorate and Compliance, SON said the evacuation exercise of the seized stuffed-in 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 products have been tested and they all failed the critical parameters as a result of stuffing.

In his words: “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 will encourage it because that is the mandate he has been given.

“Today we are here to evacuate these tyres which is 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, he said 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.

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

He pointed out the need to increase its sensitization activities across the country as Nigerians who still purchase substandard products because they are cheap, needs to be warned about the negative effects of these products, saying that as a standards body, it would invest more in sensitizing the populace to desist from the purchase of substandard goods.