Laleye Dipo in Minna
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) conducted a raid on building materials markets in Minna, the Niger state capital with the aim of confiscating fake and substandard building materials.
The raid was part of the step being taken by the organisation to check the incidents of collapsed buildings in the country. Niger state however has not recorded any collapsed building in recent years.
The exercise took the SON officials to major building materials market in the old industrial layout and the outlets at Sabon-gari road all in the state capital.
During the operations, some materials were seized which the officials said would be taken to the laboratories to ascertain their quality before any pronouncement could be made.
The state coordinator of the organisation, Mr. Olufadi Adamu, who led the surveillance team said the team also took samples of iron rods in the markets to ascertain their qualities and get rid of sub-standard ones. This was to ensure that the iron rods used for construction of buildings in the state are of high quality.
“The samples collected will be taken to Enugu for further chemical analysis and if tested sub-standard the defaulting companies will have their license revoked”, he said.
Adamu stated that before the results of the chemical analysis were received from Enugu, the organisation would make the marketers to ‘enter into agreement not to sell any of the product until it was confirmed they are of high quality’
Also the organisation had taken campaign against the use of substandard building materials to block making factories to also ensure the quality of cement that is being brought to the state with were of high standard.
Adamu said SON would carry out a sensitisation of the people across the state on the need for the people to be cautions when purchasing buildings materials in order not to patronise substandard building materials.
