Adamu Abba, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Zonal Director Northeast, on Monday said it had destroyed expired and substandard goods worth N7 million in Bauchi State.
Abba said the feat was in collaboration with the Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA) to ensure that all the food and non-food items seized were destroyed so that only quality goods were sold to citizens.
“This is to protect the lives and property of citizens as well as to save the environment. The products destroyed include beverages, cosmetics, mayonnaise, peak milk, and agrochemicals, among others,” he said.
The Zonal Director reiterated that the fight against substandard products was a collective responsibility of all, appealing to members of the public to report any suspicious substandard product in the market to the office of SON.
He commended traders and artisans’ associations for their cooperation as they voluntarily reported most of the expired products to the organisation for proper action.
Also speaking, the State Coordinator of the organisation, Murtala Sa’ad, noted that the exercise was achieved as a result of the commitment and expertise exhibited by his personnel through their weekly market survey. “This resulted in the seizure of the expired, substandard and unbranded products from various shops in Bauchi.”
Sa’ad warned traders to desist from sharp practices, saying the organisation would not relent in hunting defaulters and ensuring that they faced the full wrath of the law.
He advised members of the public to always check for expiry dates of products before using them with a view to safeguarding their health.
