SON CLAMPS DOWN ON PRODUCERS OF SUBSTANDARD CONCRETE ELECTRIC POLES

PORT HARCOURT, Rivers, Nigeria – The Standard Organization of Nigeria [ SON] had on Tuesday destroyed some substandard and fake electricity poles and sealed off business premises and offices of producers of substandard electricity poles at some locations in Port Harcourt. The Rivers State Co-ordinator of SON, Engr. Ololade Ayoola who addressed Journalists after a routine inspection of some of the business premises of producers of electricity poles around Port Harcourt, noted that the organization was poised to rid the State of substandard concrete electricity poles.

He stressed that the Rivers State office of the Organization had to swoop on the producers of fake electricity poles in line with the vision of the Director-General of SON, Mr Osita Aboloma.Ayoola noted that the Organisation was set to fight quacks in the production of electricity poles in Rivers in a bid to save the general public from danger posed by substandard poles.

‘’ We are all out to stop their activities, today we are out to destroy their fake products and seal off their offices and business premises to deter others from carrying out these nefarious activities,’’ he added.

The Rivers Co-ordinator of SON said that they had clamped down on about 12 locations of producers of substandard electricity poles and destroyed their fake products as well as sealed off their offices and business premises.   He lamented that the cause of the incessant collapse of electricity poles in the society was as a result of the manufacturing of fake and substandard concrete electricity poles in the society.

Ayoola stated that SON had always advised manufactures of electricity poles to follow specified standard introduced by the Organization , adding that despite the warning fake and substandard producers had continued to produce fake poles. The State Director noted that producers of electricity poles should use materials such as sand, concrete, rods and cement.

He lamented that instead of conforming to the right directive by the Organization, manufactures and  quacks in the business had continued to use only sand and ordinary cement. Ayoola advised non- professionals and quacks to stay off the business before the law caught off with them.

The State Director of SON promised that the Organization would continue with its routine checks and supervision of the producers of concrete electricity poles to ensure that the required standard was followed in the production of concrete electricity poles in the State.

He called on producers of concrete electricity poles to ensure that they acquire the necessary facilities in a bid to produce standard concrete electricity poles to avert incessant collapse of poles that had caused danger to lives. Ayoola advised Electricity distribution companies and the general public from patronizing quacks and substandard manufacturers of concrete electricity poles in the state.

The Rivers State Director of SON pledged that the Organisation would continue the drive until quackry, substandard producers and fake concrete electricity poles were rid off in the State.