Etukudo berates FG over removal of SON at ports and border posts in Nigeria.
By Theresa Donatus, Uyo
A former Director General of Standard Organization Of Nigeria (SON), Brig Gen. Anthony Etukudo (Rtd), OON, has Chided federal government, over the removal of SON inspection desk at the Nation’s Sea Ports and border posts across the country.
Etukudo, now a security consultant said that such a trend poses grave danger to the health and security of Nigerians as sub-standard and fake products are bound to infiltrate the country, masterminded by unpatriotic importers.
The security expert made this known to newsmen in uyo over the weekend, during a strategic Leadership Retreat organized by SON with the Theme, “Enhancing Public Awareness of the Role and Importance of SON in the Economic Development of Nigeria”.
Gen Etukudo said, “it is shocking to know that SON is no more at our Sea Ports and border posts across the country for destination inspection of imported and exported products in and out of the country”,
“The danger is that it is absolutely impossible for SON to comb all nocks and crannies, markets and warehouses in search of sub-standard and fake products dumped into the country by unpatriotic importers”,
“The health of Nigerians should not be allowed to be used as guinea pigs due to bureaucratic lapses and inactions capable of undermining national security and integrity of the Nation”, he said.
The former SON Boss who took charge of the Organization as first Director General from 1985 as a department in the Ministry of Industries left in 1990 having moulded it to become a full flege Parastatal.
He maintained that given the role of SON as the gatekeeper to improve life of the citizenry through standardization and quality assurance of both imported and local products, it was wrong to have removed SON desks at our nation’s Sea Ports and borders.
He called on the Federal Government to as a matter of great importance, reestablish SON desks in major entry points across the country and for the Organization to be equipped with modern digital laboratories to enable it assist industries in Nigeria, especially the Small and Medium Scale industries that are not capable to acquire in-built laboratories for standardization of its products.
“SON should be equipped with modern digital laboratories to meet its vision and mission for the country. It will help, especially the agricultural sector”,
“If our agric products such as Cocoa, Coffee, Suya Beans and others, are semi-processed before export, it will add value to our products and command global acceptability to the advantage of farmers because the products will be purchased at international market value”
“Our products will not be rejected by foreign countries. It will earn Nigeria the much needed foreign exchange and improved the integrity and image of Nigeria as an export country”, Etukudo said.
Gen Anthony Etukudo, Rtd, gave kudos for the passion exhibited by the present Director General of SON, Mallam Farouk A. Sallim, adding that he was impressed by the current status of the Organization but called on the Federal Government to give it the necessary support to enable the Parastatal perform maximally.
