By Daniel Tyokua
The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), and Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), in collaboration with Abuja traders union have deepened discussion on the need to wage a war against fake and substandard products.
At a meeting on Thursday in Abuja, the coordinator of AMMC, Umar Shuaibu said the meeting was informed by the need to rid the free of unapproved products in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
He told journalists that there was a recent attack on officials of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), during one of their operations to check the proliferation of expired tires in Apo market.
Shuaibu stated that partnering with Abuja officials would help to strengthen their bond and ensure that no organisation is prevented from carrying out its statutory functions.
“We had a situation whereby Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), went for enforcement in a Apo market to check the activities of proliferation of illegal tires, and the officials were attacked.
“SON is body that is charged statutorily, to check all fake and substandard products in the country, So they went to Apo market for that type of activity. Unfortunately, they were attacked. In fact, their vehicle was vandalised.
“They resorted to us as the city managers because nobody can stop any government agency from performing its constitutional functions. So we have to collaborate with SON and the market traders, in particular, the tire dealers of Association of Nigeria to ensure that the unfortunate situation never happens again.
“Anybody that is operating his business legally, doesn’t have anything to fear. It is only those people that have things to hide, have skeletons in the cupboard that should be afraid of enforcement or monitoring”.
He expressed optimism that in the coming days, with the renewed commitment for collaboration, significant improvements will be noticed in the fight against fake and substandard products in Abuja.
However, the Director of Operations, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, Dauda Yakubu said that the organisation is open to working with any traders’ association to rid Abuja of fake and substandard products.
On his part, Chairman Apo Tire Dealers Association, Chimezie Ife, said that where there are both good and bad people in the market, the Association is doing everything possible to purge itself of the bad elements within her members.
