In a move to ensure proper
sensitisation of tyre dealers on quality of their products  for safety  and business promotion, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Rivers State branch, has organised stakeholders forum for the  Port Harcourt Tyre Dealer Association.
The seminar which drew a large crowd of stakeholders, took place  at the Famous Ground Hotel, Mile 2, Diobu in Port Harcourt, recently.
In his address, the Rivers State Head of SON, Mr. Papanye Don-Pedro, stated that the seminar had become necessary to ensure good quality tyres and promote the dealers’ business. He commended the stakeholders for their cooperation with SON and noted that through the stakeholders engagement the tyre dealers would go back home better enriched with necessary awareness on  their trade.
Don-Pedro assured that any dealer who dealt on quality products should not be afraid of the organisation’s enforcement exercise, which only targets substandard product for seizure.
The stateshead of SON explained that it was part of the body’s mandate to protect lives and promote business. But he noted that many times road accidents were caused by fake and substandard tyres, while acknowledging that the seminar was germane because of the approaching Yuletide, when many families are expected to undertake long journeys to different destinations across the country and beyond.
The Rivers SON boss cautioned the association to avoid patronising fake tyre distributors, even as he expressed the confidence that the seminar would  among other benefits, help the traders to identify fake and substandard tyres.
Don-Pedro also informed that dealers willing to register with the organsiation for the purposes of importation of tyres into the country could do so by approaching the state branch of the organisation, assuring  that they would be  properly guided on what to do and bring direct benefits to their business. The SON official commended to tyre dealers association  leaders for mobilising  their members to  attend the stakeholders forum in large number.
Also speaking chairman, Port Harcourt Tyres Dealers Association, Sir Eze. N. Okoye, commended SON for organising  a stakeholders seminar for tyre dealers in Port Harcourt. He expressed the joy that  the dealers were better informed now than before.
Eze Okoye pledged that the association would apply the knowledge acquired through the seminar in their dealings.
Earlier, the seminar presenter, Mr. Coldman Madu, who took stakeholders through series of awareness, from the paper by the Director General and Chief Executive of the SON Dr. Joseph Odumodu, enumerated the different types of tyres available,  which include tubeless, tube, solid  bullet proof and aircraft  tyres. He went a step further listing tyre classification such as light truck tyres, commercial, all-terrain tyres, among others.
But he informed the dealers that they should expect safety, comfort, grip and ability to  carry load in a tyre, adding that good thread, good casing, long supporting bead and leak proof remain qualities of good tyres.

Mildred Jaja