A group known as Social Integrity Network (SIN) has staged a peaceful protest in Kaduna, asking the Federal government to probe the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) and Nigeria Customs Service over influx of smuggled and substandard goods into Nigeria.
The group, which is advocating for indigenous manufacturing of steel products, said SON should give detailed accounts of how substandard roofing sheets find their way into the Nigerian markets despite the MANCAP and SONCAP fees imposed on importers and exporters.
It also called for investigation into the reasons behind cancellation of Customs’ Pre-shipment inspection of imported goods, saying that, the action has given room for importation of not only substandard, but dangerous items.
The protesters who carried placards and big banner, with inscriptions like; ‘Say no to illegal importation’, ‘say no to smuggling of substandard goods’, among others asked the Federal government to safe the souls of local manufacturers.
Spokesman of the protesting group, Mr. Ibrahim Issa, said: “If Nigeria Custom Service and the Standard Organization of Nigeria cannot fish out the Smugglers, the Federal Government of Nigeria should command the Department of State Services, Nigeria Police and the
Presidential Committee on Trade Malpractices should join hands together to deploy the machineries in their arsenals to move into the matter and detect those behind the menace of smuggling in Nigeria.”
According to him, “we are all gathered here today to carry out peaceful demonstration to express our dissatisfaction against irregularities that is affecting our industries in Nigeria. Save our souls, save the souls of the masses, save the efforts of our local manufacturers.
“It is our desire to swiftly respond against the looming crises of economic sabotage which is posing serious threat to the means of livelihood of average Nigerians. It would be recalled that recently, we all woke up to a widely spread news reports by a group under the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, (MAN). i.e Galvanised Iron and Steel Manufacturers Association, (GISMA) with the alert of planning to lay off 20,000 workforces into the labour market.”
The group further stressed that, “The 30 days warning alert was given due to the collapse of some sectors of Nigeria economy precipitated by massive smuggling of substandard products into Nigeria, targeted at collapsing the local manufacturers.
“However, our investigation has revealed that smuggled substandard steel products have flooded every nooks and crannies of Nigeria thereby subjecting local manufacturers to serious economic and social investment misfortune,” he said.