SON DESTROYS OVER 6,000 EXPIRED TYRES IN ENUGU
Reporter : CHRISTIAN NWANGENE
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has destroyed over six thousand imported used and expired tyres worth millions of naira.
The move according to the Director, Inspectorate and Compliance Department (ICD) of the Agency, Mr. Obiora Manafa, was to prevent access to such items into the markets and discourage activities of importers of such products.
Addressing journalists in Enugu during the destruction, Mr. Manafa explained that the stuffed tyres were intercepted and impounded by the Agency at a warehouse in Portharcourt, Rivers State, following Intelligence report.
“The tyres are expired, and at the same time stuffed, so you can imagine everything they’re combining inside this tyre, all the infractions they’re putting inside these tyres.
“So, we got these tyres in Portharcourt, we confiscated them, and got order to destroy them, that’s what we’re doing.
“The tyres were confiscated in Portharcourt like I said and they were moved from Portharcourt to Enugu here where we have space, it is because we have space here that’s why we brought them here for destruction,” the SON Director stated.
Mr. Manafa, who explained that the lifespan of every tyre was four-years, noted that stuffed, used tyres were concealed to beat regulatory procedures, emphasizing that SON would not relent in its fight against fake and substandard goods.
“The DG of SON, Malam Farouk Salim, is commited to fighting this influx of substandard product, because it’s a menace.
“Our people go outside the country instead of bringing product that complied with the standards, they will go and do all sorts of things in the name of making money which is very, very bad.
“So, we’re advising Nigerians, both the importers, and the consumers to do the right thing, especially the importers,” Mr. cautioned.
According to Mr. Manafa, the products failed the conformity and integrity tests, maintaining that the decision to destroy them was to save lives and property of Nigerians, who might fall victim to the killer-products if allowed to circulate.