The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has declared that it is set to diligently prosecute manufacturers and distributors of substandard steel in the country.
This was declared by the Chairman, Special Task Force, SON, Mr. Enebi Onuchenyo, at a recent stakeholders meeting with manufacturers and distributors of steel and iron rods in Lagos.
Onuchenyo said that 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.
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Also speaking, the Coordinator, Steel Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Group, Felix Oba-Okogie, alleged that there were wrong accusations over the quality of the steel produced locally.
Oba-Okogie, therefore, urged SON to find out the details of whatever allegations that have been made against steel manufacturers and deal with them.
He 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.
A member of the Iron Dealers Association of Nigeria, Anambra State chapter, Mr. Chukwudi Umeh, commended SON for regulating the steel and iron rod sector, and pledged the association's support to SON.
Umeh advised that every manufacturer must identify their customers to make it easy for SON to trace products that fail to meet the Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS).
