Enugu – The House Committee on Industry says it is taking all necessary steps to deal with importers and merchants of sub-standard products.
The Chairman of the committee, Hon. Ababukar Moriki, made this known on Monday in Enugu after an oversight visit to the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Civil/Mechanical Engineering Laboratory and the National Metrology Institute (NMI) project in Enugu.
“And that might not be the end of it; the company that manufactures those things for Nigeria, we can even follow it up with the regulatory agencies over there in that country.
“We have that collaboration with manufacturers of materials that are imported into the country.
“So that we make sure that importers don’t ask for manufacturing of sub-standard materials to be imported into Nigeria.
“So, steps are being taken to make sure those who engage in doing this (illegal) business are dealt with according to the law.’’
Moriki said the National Assembly would re-enact a law that would provide penalties for individuals or corporate organisations involved in production of sub-standard products.
He said that sellers or hawkers of sub-standard products would also be sanctioned.
The chairman said that the committee would also follow-up cases of sub-standard products importation to the country of import.
Moriki applauded SON for going from one shop to another to identify sub-standard products.
Earlier, the Acting Director-General of SON, Dr Paul Angya, lamented the flooding of the Nigerian market with sub-standard.
Angya appealed to the committee to assist SON in pushing for employment of more hands in the organisation to cover the country effectively.
He noted that the agency required a minimum of 10,000 addition work-force.
On the ongoing NMI project, the director-general revealed that the institute would help to revolutionise and touch all aspect of the nation’s economy and socio-cultural life-style for the better.
“Yes, like I said right now, in terms of weights and measures and other scientific measurements, calibration of both light and heavy machineries; these things are been done outside Nigeria now.
“Because we don’t have this quality of laboratory in Nigeria.
“So, when this (NMI) laboratory is completed and equipped; first of all, the monies that we are taken outside the country for calibration of our measurement standard that money would not be spent overseas.
“Secondly, the time it takes us to do verification or a calibration; and sometimes it take months that time will also so be cut down.
“And then of course the image and reputation of Nigeria that we are capable of doing these things in our country.
“Right now, these things even have security implications.’’
Angya said that the NMI has capacity to take care of all measures, weight and scale calibration (measurement for standard) in all aspect of human endeavours, which ranges from agricultural to construction, frequency, latitude, altitude, temperature, rigidity measurements etc.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NMI when completed would have the following laboratories: small and big mass lab; pressure lab, electrical lab, frequency lab, radiometry lab etc. (NAN)
