New SON DG Assumes Office,Vows To Prosecute Offenders

Barrister Anthony   Osita Aboloma,yesterday in Abuja, assumed duty as the substantive director general/CEO of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).This is also as he has vowed to use his background as a lawyer to push for the prosecution of those who deal in substandard products to another level.

In a brief hand-over ceremony , former acting director general of the oagency, Paul Angya , said  the agency  in the last few months had doubled efforts  in the war  against substandard products and had made substantial progress in the implementation of its programmes.

While pledging his unreserved loyalty to the new DG, Angya enjoined  the staff to support the new DG in order to lift the agency to greater heights.

Angya also advised  Aboloma to tackle the issue of substandard products headlong and  continue with some of the policies and programmes already initiated by the agency like the Metrology institute in Enugu.

According to him, Nigeria’s diversification agenda cannot be achieved without the national quality infrastructure, adding that the institute when completed, would further aid the country’s compliance with conformity assessment rules.

He also drew his attention to ongoing efforts to  ensure that goods being imported from China and other Asian countries conform to the nation’s industrial standard.

Specifically, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)  between China and Nigeria  that would address the issuance of Certificate of Free Sale (CFS) to importers who request for the production of sub-standard goods for the country.

While also stressing the need for improved staff. welfare, Angya told the DG  that the agency has been ejected from its operational headquarters by the Raw Materials ,Research and Development Concil which owns the structure and urged him to urgently do something about the present challenge.

Responding, Aboloma expressed gratitude for the opportunity given him to serve the nation in his new capacity. He thanked staff of SON for their commitment to duty and craved the cooperation of all for the realisation of the mandate of the agency.