The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has advised users of concrete electric poles within Rivers and Bayelsa States axis to be cautious in making purchases of the product to avoid patronage of substandard and life-endangering poles.
SON also advised electricity distribution companies and individuals to patronize only concrete electric poles that have been certified under the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP).
This advice was given by the Director General, Osita Aboloma Esq during a standards enforcement activity on 15 manufacturers of suspected substandard concrete electric poles in the Oyigbo and Choba areas of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State recently.
Represented by the SON Coordinator Rivers/Bayelsa, Engr Ololade Ayoola, the SON Chief Executive alluded to the seal up of the premises of the companies on account of producing suspected substandard concrete electric poles.
Engr. Ayoola disclosed that the exercise was in response to reports of several fallen electric poles in the GRA and other areas of Port-Harcourt as a result of a heavy rainstorm, following which weeks of surveillance and investigation activities were carried out.
According to him, sensitization activities on the need to produce to the specifications in the Nigerian Industrial Standards for concrete electric poles were then carried out to all the players in the sector in Rivers State.
Further surveillance activities by SON, however, revealed that some unscrupulous concrete electric poles makers in the state continued to make a living from substandard and life-endangering products, he said.
“Some of the manufacturers were caught during production joining short lengths of iron rods severally to achieve full length inside the poles. Interactions with the operatives revealed the total ignorance of the specifications in the Nigeria Industrial Standard for concrete electric poles”, he said.
The Standards enforcement exercise according to Engr. Ayoola was to therefore stem the tide of continued production of substandard and life-endangering concrete electric poles in Rivers State in the interest of the safety of Nigerian citizens in line with the mandate of SON as enshrined in Act No. 14 of 2015.
He stated that dangers imminent from the continued production and patronage of the substandard concrete electric poles include the high risk of electrocution as well as destruction to lives and properties.
The SON States Coordinator assured Rivers and Bayelsa people that SON will fish out all makers of substandard products in the states and bring them to book in accordance with the laws of Nigeria.
