Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt
The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has said it would intensify its clampdown on dealer of substandard and adulterated engine lubricants.
This is as the union, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and security agencies destroyed about N4 million worth of unwholesome lubricants seized between August and October.
It warned that it in addition to the seizure and destruction of unwholesome engine lubricants, dealers’ shops would be sealed off by the end of January 2019.
Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State yesterday, the Chairman of Engine Lubricant Dealers of NUPENG, Port Harcourt Branch, Mr. Segun Johnson, stated that all engine lubricants sold within Port Harcourt and its environs must be certified by SON.
He said NUPENG, SON and security agencies would go after erring dealers after January 31, 2019.
He stated that NUPENG would begin to work fully with the SON to fight those circulating substandard products in the market.
His words: “We are already co-operating with the SON in order to ensure that no substandard engine lubricant is in circulation and no adulteration of any engine lubricant within our domain.
“We do not allow the circulation of any product that has no SON certification. Such a product must not exist. We are calling on any person selling engine oil of whatever quantity to ensure that such product is certified by SON.
“You will have problems with NUPENG, SON and security agencies if you as a dealer fail to adhere to this instruction. The SON operation (looking out for offenders) is on and we are co-operating with them (SON).”
Decrying unwholesome engine lubricants have negative effect on the consumers, Johnson maintained that products not certified by SON should not be in the market.
He said: “Any engine lubricant importer, who wants to bring the product into our domain, must ensure that he gets certification from SON for the product. This is the only way the person can go on with his business without hitch.
“Offending dealers would have their products seized and their shops will also be sealed off. By January ending, there is going to be a combined force of NUPENG, SON and other security agents like Civil Defence and others.
“It will be a serious problem for any dealer that still deals in unwholesome engine lubricant. What we do as a union is that the bad products will be impounded and released to SON or Civil Defence for destruction.”
He said that unwholesome engine lubricants worth about N4 million were destroyed in 2018, adding that the seizure and destruction were made between August and October.
“This year alone, many substandard engine lubricants have been destroyed. Those seized and destroyed this year are about N4 million. The seizure and destruction were made between August and October. More offending dealers will suffer the same fate from the end January 2019,” he added.
