SON GOVERNING COUNCIL SET TO RE-ENGINEER ITS PROCESSES - Dr. Samuel Ortom 2009-11-24

The recently inaugurated Governing Council of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria is set to carry out a thorough re-engineering of the processes of the organization to further strengthen its capacity and enhance its ability to be more proactive in serving the Nigerian people.

Chairman of the Governing Council, Dr. Samuel Ortom who stated this at a media briefing in Abuja recently disclosed that as part of the exercise, Regional offices have been created headed by staff of Deputy Directors’ level and above to oversee the affairs of the SON State and Zonal offices for greater efficiency and effectiveness as well as bring its services nearer to the people.

According to him, the technical Committee of the Governing Council recently approved 133 Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) including newly elaborated ones, those reviewed in line with current developments and those adopted as well as adapted from existing International Standards.

The standards he stated were 37 in Chemical Technology, 26 in Food Technology, 11 in Leather Technology, 51 in Mechanical Engineering and 8 in Textile Technology Sectors to provide greater opportunity to locally manufactured products to compete effectively against the best from other parts of the world
The SON Chairman posited that the newly approved standards will ensure that Consumers get greater value for their hard earned money through an assurance of products’ quality under the SON Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP)  as well as serve as benchmarks to which imported products are to be certified under the SON off-shore Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP).

Dr. Ortom warned that anyone caught in the unpatriotic act of importing or producing substandard goods henceforth shall be made to face the full weight of the law including taking responsibility for all costs associated with the evacuation, warehousing and destruction of such products as provided for in the SON enabling Act.

This resolve according to him is being demonstrated with the initiation of prosecution of some importers of sub-standard Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Cylinders apprehended by the Enforcement team of SON, stressing that an order of Court has been obtained to destroy the said products.
Enumerating some of the recent strides of the SON Governing Council, the Chairman stated that SON had recently inaugurated a standing technical committee of experts in the oil and gas sector to ensure full Standardisation and Quality Assurance of the sector with a view to getting more from the Nation’s God endowed natural resources.

The Committee of experts and interested parties according to him have commenced work towards the periodic review of available standards as necessary, elaborate, adopt and adapt new standards for the Oil and Gas Sector to meet the Nation’s needs.
While assuring the nation of SON’s preparedness to continue to promote industries and ensure the well being of the citizens through the instrument of Standardisation and Quality Assurance, Dr. Ortom appealed for further support and encouragement of all the arms of Government and stakeholders particularly in the Oil and Gas to the organisation in its onerous task of taking the Nation to Higher Standards particularly in this key sector.