Rising Substandard Imports: Why SON Should Fire Inspection Agents Abroad Now, by Ex-NAGAFF President
SON DG
By Francis Ugwoke
The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has been advised to wake up with new ideas on how to check increasing imports of substandard goods into the country.
Part of the measures should to disengage the current inspection agents carrying out the examination of goods in different countries before being shipped into Nigeria.
Former President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr Eugene Nweke who said this while reacting to the seizures of substandard goods and destruction added that going forward, SON needs to urgently review the activities of its contracted inspection agents abroad as the end result base on the level of influx of substandard goods into Nigeria.
According to Nweke SON should “disengage the inspection agents and reappoint those inspection agents with capacity to provide sophisticated ICT applications, including the deployment of artificial intelligence in this regards”.
He argued that this should be the way out, stating that the taunting by SON bvto go back into the port should stop.
He added, “understandably the SON regulatory role is key to the lives and well being of the citizenry, that should not be politicized with a clamor to man the port. Other than the persistent clamoring that tends to portray itself as if it fails to man the ports it would be unable to discharge its functions effectively. This taunting to go back into the port should stop”.
Nweke also called on SON management to seek
further inter agency collaboration with the aim of evolving or deploying the ISO Supply Chain Security Management System.
He called on “SON supervisory Trade Ministry to seek collaboration with the Transport Ministry with an intent to develop a National Supply Chain Security Program, taking a cue from Singapore”.
“May I equally, most respectfully, advise the Director General and his management team to look beyond the port as the main frontier that is prone to the influx substandard products.
“It has become necessary for the management to carry out an investigation as to how did the transhipment ladened containers owned by the Nigeria trading public eventually gains its entrance into the Nigerian markets?
“At any case, why do Nigerian trading public prefer to patronize neighboring ports instead of the national ports?.
Has the management ever considered deeply the implications of a congested seaports ( leading to massive cargo stemming to outer terminals, some with lesser security provisions) to its product quality assessment regulatory and control measures?.
“On this note, I join to commend the SON for its continuous efforts at ensuring that our lives and properties are safe, However, I employ them to change their mindset about going back to the port and approach in quality conformity programme, especially with regards to imported goods.
“The SON has to take its SONCAP program to the drawing board, focus and align with the global concept. The management should be temper proof driven. Other than finding faults with the Customs, renegotiate a better inter agency collaboration with the Customs and related agencies for overall efficiency, especially in the face of tasks at hand”.
The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has been advised to wake up with new ideas on how to check increasing imports of substandard goods into the country.
Part of the measures should to disengage the current inspection agents carrying out the examination of goods in different countries before being shipped into Nigeria.
Former President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr Eugene Nweke who said this while reacting to the seizures of substandard goods and destruction added that going forward, SON needs to urgently review the activities of its contracted inspection agents abroad as the end result base on the level of influx of substandard goods into Nigeria.
According to Nweke SON should “disengage the inspection agents and reappoint those inspection agents with capacity to provide sophisticated ICT applications, including the deployment of artificial intelligence in this regards”.
He argued that this should be the way out, stating that the taunting by SON bvto go back into the port should stop.
He added, “understandably the SON regulatory role is key to the lives and well being of the citizenry, that should not be politicized with a clamor to man the port. Other than the persistent clamoring that tends to portray itself as if it fails to man the ports it would be unable to discharge its functions effectively. This taunting to go back into the port should stop”.
Nweke also called on SON management to seek
further inter agency collaboration with the aim of evolving or deploying the ISO Supply Chain Security Management System.
He called on “SON supervisory Trade Ministry to seek collaboration with the Transport Ministry with an intent to develop a National Supply Chain Security Program, taking a cue from Singapore”.
“May I equally, most respectfully, advise the Director General and his management team to look beyond the port as the main frontier that is prone to the influx substandard products.
“It has become necessary for the management to carry out an investigation as to how did the transhipment ladened containers owned by the Nigeria trading public eventually gains its entrance into the Nigerian markets?
“At any case, why do Nigerian trading public prefer to patronize neighboring ports instead of the national ports?.
Has the management ever considered deeply the implications of a congested seaports ( leading to massive cargo stemming to outer terminals, some with lesser security provisions) to its product quality assessment regulatory and control measures?.
“On this note, I join to commend the SON for its continuous efforts at ensuring that our lives and properties are safe, However, I employ them to change their mindset about going back to the port and approach in quality conformity programme, especially with regards to imported goods.
“The SON has to take its SONCAP program to the drawing board, focus and align with the global concept. The management should be temper proof driven. Other than finding faults with the Customs, renegotiate a better inter agency collaboration with the Customs and related agencies for overall efficiency, especially in the face of tasks at hand”.
FOLLOW US
About Post Author
