SON Set To Curb Petroleum Adulteration

The Director General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr Joseph Odumodu says arrangements have been concluded to begin the testing of petroleum products in the country to curb adulterarion.

Odumodu, who said this at a media briefing in Lagos, explained that the exercise would affect petrol and diesel.

The SON boss  added that the exercise became necessary to ensure that consumers got value for their money with the new price regime.

According to Odumodu, a nationwide sampling conducted by SON on petroleum products showed a high level of adulteration at different levels of distribution.

He said, though the monitoring and testing of the products had been on for six months, a full scale test would start in February.

“As part of government, it is important for us to show that we are also sensitive to the yearnings of the average Nigerian.

“And like l did say, if prices have gone up to about N97 per litre, we want to make sure that the consumer actually gets one litre of a quality product for N97.

“We have done that for over six months more actively. We have always done that any time products arrived. We take samples, but we became more active at monitoring after we received a lot of OPS complaints and as soon as we checked, we also found out that a lot of AGO was adulterated.’’, he explained.

Odumodu said SON had also received complaints from consumers, especially in the manufacturing sector of the negative effect of adulterated petroleum products on their equipment.

“The OPS reported that they were spending a lot more money in maintenance of their equipment, in even running the equipment because if a product is adulterated, one litre of AGO will not deliver one litre of power in any system.

“And on top of that the machines were breaking down more often and that is also affecting their production and ability to generate employment and all that. We felt it was a very genuine complaints and our investigations proved them right.’’, he noted.

He said that, part of SON’s mandate was to ensure that local industries are empowered to produce and compete favourably internationally, adding that SON cannot fold its hands and watch unscrupulous people take advantage of innocent Nigerians by flooding the market with adulterated products.