By Adedapo Adesanya
Petroleum marketers in Rivers State have raised concerns about the professionalism of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), especially as it concerns the importation of substandard goods into the country.
The Rivers State Chairman of Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, Mr Francis Dimkpa, faulted the mode of operation of the agency, urging it to monitor the standard of items at the point of manufacturing and entry into the country.
Mr Dimkpa, who was speaking on the role of the agency in eradicating substandard products from the market, blamed SON for failing to thoroughly access the standard of goods before they are imported into the country; saying that IPMAN would collaborate with SON to this effect.
“We are more concerned about the professionalism of SON. They should focus more on the manufacturers and the importers. You cannot leave the border or the manufacturing points, and then you’re talking about standards.
“If you want to talk about standards, monitor standards at the point of entry and at the point of manufacturing.
“There is no need going to harass, and intimidate people in and out of their businesses, without you monitoring these products right at the point of manufacturing.
“We are going to work with them, we have promised to synergize with them to concentrate more at the point of manufacturing and the point entry,” he said.
Meanwhile, SON said that it only has the power to trace distributed products in the market in ensuring that required standards are met.
SON explained said the agency does not operate at the Nigerian borders which should have given it access to monitor imported goods before distribution.
Rivers State Coordinator of SON, Mr Samuel Ayuba, explained that all products imported into Nigeria are expected to have gone through the SONCAPS certification issued by international accredited firms which SON should naturally rely on, regretting that manufacturers and importers were bent on cutting corners.
Recall that in January 2022, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) imported over 170 million litres of substandard premium motor spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, into the country, which knocked down cars and plants engines across the country, eventual fuel scarcity which lasted for a very long time.
Modupe Gbadeyanka