The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has said that it destroyed goods worth N10 billion Naira between 2011 and 2015 even as it urged the freight forwarding associations to collaborate with it to rid the country of sub standard and fake goods.
Director General of SON, Dr. Joseph Odumodu gave the figure recently when officials of the agency paid a working visit to the headquarters of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) in Lagos.
The Director General however urged Freight forwarding practitioners to collaborate with the organisation to stop importation of sub-standard products into the country.
According to him, SON had destroyed over N10 billion worth of goods since 2011 saying that his life was at stake in the line of duty.
The SON DG noted that the SON was not an expert in maritime affairs and that was the reason behind its collaboration with relevant maritime group like NAGAFF with a view to synergize and kill substandard items coming into the country.
He noted that the government had mandated the agency to reduce the influx of substandard and fake importation of goods to less than 15% adding that with the support of the freight forwarding associations it would be achievable.
“In the next few years we will reduce sub-standard product to 15 per cent. Now we are going through period of change. President Muhammadu Buhari was elected because of honesty and integrity. I am pleading you all to change from all ramifications because many people are dying day by day of cancer as a result of substandard goods coming into the country,” he said.
He compelled freight forwarders to be part of the positive change adding that they should all comply with the e-Product Registration and e-Product Clearance Certificate platform.
Odumudu said, “If people continue to do the wrong thing by failing to comply then the organisation would continue in stopping containers on the road”.
He commended the support of the Nigeria Customs Service which had enable the organisation of excel passively.
In his remarks, founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam advised the DG of SON to carry all the freight forwarding associations along in order for the agency to succeed saying that NAGAFF would continue to support the agency in all fronts.
He said NAGAFF’s collaboration with SON had further been strengthen for the betterment of the nation adding that SON had the responsibility to protect lives and properties.
Also speaking, the National President of NAGAFF, Dr. Eugene Nweke said that trade could not be facilitated under a rigid and uncoordinated process and procedures.
Nweke who was represented during the visit by the National Deputy President, Mr. Oluwole Adeyemi said that there was need for harmonisation and coordination of activities to enable the organisation to blend with the era of e-commerce trade facilitation.
He commended the organisation on the e-Product Registration and e-Provision Clearance Certificate platform.
“We wish to advice SON management to go further by creating a forum where our National officers and other members will be given proper training and sensitisation. This sensitisation will help our members have in-depth understanding of the scheme”, Nweke said.
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