11th October, 2017
The Ondo State Government has assured the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) that it will partner with it to eradicate fake and substandard products in the state.
Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, gave the assurance on Wednesday in Akure while playing host to the officials of the organisation in the state.
Akeredolu, represented by his deputy, Mr Agboola Ajayi, said the state government would do everything possible to make the state free of fake and substandard products.
He urged the organisation to adopt the mechanism used by the National Food and Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NAFDAC) in confirming genuine drugs.
The governor said that the NAFDAC’s confirmation codes on drugs had helped Nigerian to identify genuine drugs in pharmaceutical shops.
Akeredolu said that if SON adopted the mechanism it would enable consumers to easily identify genuine products in the markets across the country.
The governor enjoined the SON to extend its ongoing awareness programme on fake products to the rural areas of the state.
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“If products have standard, the will last for years and the society will better for it,” he said.
Earlier, the State Coordinator of SON, Mr Paul Oke, said the organisation had zero tolerance for fake and substandard products in the state.
Oke disclosed that the SON in Ondo State recently impounded some fake gas cylinders being transported from Lagos State to Ekiti.
He said any product without SON approval was not genuine and added that for any product to be regarded as good it must also be certified by the Nigeria Industrial Standard (NIS).
The coordinator said that the organisation was planning to hold school club awareness programmes on fake drugs.
Oke appealed to the state government to collaborate with the organisation in ensuring that the state was prevent from being a dumping ground for fake and substandard products.