The Iron Rods and Steel Distributors Employers Union of Nigeria (IRSDEUN) has called on the director general of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to reorganise the organisation’s task force in order to succeed in the fight against substandard steel production in Nigeria.
In a statement by the national president of the union, Chief Gbenga Awoyale, the group called for the replacement of the chairman of the task force, Mr Enebi Onucheyo, saying that the alleged complicity of the chairman has led to botched attempts to apprehend some producers of substandard iron rods.
The people said that the recent clampdown and closure of the African Steel Limited Factory in Ikorodu, Lagos State, was allegedly due to the non-involvement of the Taskforce chairman by other members, “who carried out the operation diligently.”.
However, the union said that “since the closure of the culpable manufacturer and the seizure of several trailers of iron rods that were sealed up in the company’s premises for weeks now, the Taskforce chairman’s involvement has stalled legal action that is supposed to be taken against the company.
“This ugly situation has emboldened the substandard producer to even attempt laundering its image by claiming it was not sealed on a national daily.
“We are surprised that Enebi, in his self-indicting statement on a national daily, claimed SON did not close any factory but rather conducted spot inspections, inventories, and samples, and products were kept on hold with proper documentation to enable SON to conduct laboratory tests and analysis in order to arrive at informed conclusions in line with our organisation’s standard operating procedure.
“We then ask, when has it become routine practice for SON to put products on hold for weeks in the name of a purported laboratory test and analysis? Was it the same laboratory test that also put the production of the company they wished to cover up for on hold? Because, as of Tuesday, May 21, 2024, production operations remain on hold in the Ikorodu Factory of African Steel Limited,” Awoyale said.
The distributors claimed that the alleged involvement of some officials of the SON with these substandard producers has been detrimental to their businesses and the overall market for iron rods.
“We are not producers; we are distributors, so competition isn’t the case. But what we are saying is that these low-quality products not only pose serious safety risks but also don’t give value for the money we invest in the business.
The Iron Rod Distributors’ Association expressed disappointment and concern over the SON Taskforce Chairman’s alleged misconduct and argued that the Taskforce Chair’s supposed collusion with substandard producers has undermined the integrity of the industry and compromised the safety of consumers.
Furthermore, the distributors have called for a thorough investigation into the matter and are urging the relevant authorities to take swift action in addressing this issue. They are insistent that the chair be removed and affected companies be prosecuted accordingly, with a threat to take legal action against the SON if it fails to prosecute substandard steel producers.
“As Iron Rod Distributors, concerned about value and safety for our customers, we shall continue to push for accountability and transparency within the regulatory bodies to ensure that only high-quality products make it to the market, safeguarding both the interests of the distributors and the safety of the public,” the statement said.
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