The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Standards Organisation of
Nigeria have set up a joint Committees to ensure seamless collaboration
towards tackling the menace of importation of substandard and life-
threatening products through the Nation’s entry points.
This indication was given during a working visit of the Director General,
SON, Mallam Farouk Salim to the Customs Comptroller General, Rtd.
Colonel Ahmadu Ali and his management in Abuja recently in furtherance
of the Federal Government’s directive on SON return to the entry points to
tackle substandard imports head-on.
Welcoming the SON Management team, Colonel Ali stated that an
e+ective collaboration between the NCS and SON in tackling substandard
imports from the entry points is in the best interest of the Nation to
protect its people and the economy.
He acknowledged the need for SON expertise in identifying suspected
substandard products during the joint examination of cargoes, stressing
that the scanners can only identify products but unable to determine their
quality and genuineness.
In his words “I am happy you are back to the entry points and will
be there 24/7 to complement our job and make it better so that
when any consignment exits the Ports we are sure that we are
releasing what is genuine to Nigerians”
The Comptroller General reiterated the need for seamless synergy among
the operatives of the two agencies and directed that information be
passed to all Commands in that respect.
Speaking earlier, SON Director General, Mallam Farouk Salim
acknowledged the existing robust collaboration between the two agencies
especially in the last eleven years, without which according to him, his
agency would be unable to make any inroad in tackling substandard
imports.
According to him, the directive for SON return to the entry points
necessitated an even more cordial and respectful relationship to protect
the Nation from the menace of substandard products and its attendant
negative consequences, including factory closures, joblessness, banditry,
kidnapping etc.
Mallam Salim stated that SON has no desire to slow down the cargo
clearance process and appealed to the NCS to assist the organisation in
ensuring that suspected substandard cargo can be further examined
outside the Ports either in SON facility or that of the Consignee.
The DG SON disclosed that great e+orts have been made to reform the
organisation’s systems to promote e1ciency and quicker turn-around
time, including staff re-orientation, training and prompt consequence
management.
