SON shuts steel firm over sub-standard rods

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has shut a steel production firm in Ugua community, in Edo State, for manufacturing sub-standard products.

The move is coming on the heels of the warning issued by the agency to impose stricter sanctions on erring steel and iron producers that fail to meet the minimum requirement of the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS), even as it has continued to mop up sub-standard steel rods from the markets.

According to SON, the action was carried out following an intelligence report on activities of the firm, Yongsing Steel Co Limited. Director, Inspectorate and Compliance Directorate of the SON, Bede Obayi who led his team on the raid, said his team discovered a lot of irregularities in the company’s operations, confirming the production of substandard products.

According to him, the universal testing machine essential for standardisation in the production process was not working, and the chemical composition of the steel product failed tests.

He said although the minimum standard length of steel bars in accordance with Nigerian industrial Standard is 12 metres, much of the steel bars manufactured by Yongsing Steel Co Limited were less than the prescribed length.

According to the report, there were also compromises in the area of skilled personnel manning the operations of the company as the enforcement team discovered no skilled staff to man production to ensure the standard requirements was met.

Further tests carried out by Obayi’s team showed that mechanical properties of the iron products had poor yield strengths, while there was no evidence of control of non-conforming products to protect the consumers from buying substandard steel bars

Obayi, added that the company’s testing machines were kept under environments that were not conducive, which is likely to affect its potency in tests, adding this should not be so.

Obayi reiterated the resolve of the SON to sanitise the Nigerian economy of substandard products, as a way of creating opportunities for genuine products of indigenous manufacturers.

He appealed to companies to abide by the standardisation requirements of the SON so as to safeguard lives, and also create value for monies spent on such products.