The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has stated that it is ready to prosecute manufacturers and distributors of substandard steel products in the country.
The Chairman, Special Task Force, SON, Mr. Enebi Onuchenyo, stated this at a recent stakeholders meeting with manufacturers and distributors of steel and iron rods in Lagos.
According to Onuchenyo, the agency has been inundated with complaints from distributors over the quality of steel and iron rods in the country.
He said: “There was a claim that there are substandard iron rods in the market and this is why we called the manufacturers and distributors and they have both given us useful information that will help us track whoever is behind this unscrupulous act.
“We have also told them that anyone caught in the act would be prosecuted and there is no going back on that.My warning to everyone is that as a distributor, do not accept substandard iron rods from manufacturers and as manufacturers, do not produce substandard iron rods. The next phase of this journey is prosecution.”
He also disclosed that SON would bridge the gap between manufacturers and the distributors in its new plan to chart a new path for the nation’s steel sector.
“We have asked the manufacturers to engage in self-regulation because all over the world, the best form of regulation is self-regulation because it is more stringent.If they decide to check themselves to ensure that none of their members toe the wrong path, the sector will be robust and it will make a lot of positive impact on the economy,” he said.
On the claim by SON, the Coordinator, Steel Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Group, Felix Oba-Okogie, said “Until today’s meeting, we have regarded those allegations that we are producing substandard steel from people who are not representing SON as basically baseless.This meeting that we are having today has put to rest all these allegations. They are not only rubbishing manufacturers, they also smear the reputation of SON. This is not healthy for the country.
