Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has presented Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) certificates to nine manufacturing companies in Nnewi, Anambra State.
In a brief ceremony in Nnewi at the weekend to issue the certificates, the Director General and Chief Executive of the organisation, Mallam Farouk Salim, urged the companies to hold in high esteem the MANCAP certificates and logos so as not to abuse the mark or contravene any of its terms and conditions. He warned that any contravention would lead to sanction and withdrawal of the certificates by the management of SON.
Mallam Farouk who was represented by the Anambra State Coordinator of SON, Mr Michael Ogbuji, named some of the contraventions to include failure of the certified products to conform to the minimum requirements of the standard at any given time. He also warned that any form of abuse with respect to the usage or display of the MANCAP logo on the certified products, if the company ceased to operate in Nigeria, would attract sanction.
“I hereby congratulate the nine deserving companies, we are presenting their certificates today on their giant strides in attaining these landmarks achievements in your manufacturing endeavours. Please note that while you are celebrating your deserved achievements, I urge you to see the achievements as a starting point in your journey to quality.”
Therefore, aim at continual improvement of the quality of your products in order to reap the maximum benefits of the MANCAP scheme,” he said.
He noted that the benefits would even increase now, according to him, that the Federal Government had signed African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AFCFTA).
After issuing the certificates, Mr Ogbuji while fielding questions from journalists said that his office would not relent in monitoring the certificated products to ensure that their standard was not lowered.
“We will visit them at their factories to ensure that they comply with the standard requirements. We will also go to markets to sample these products and send them for labouratory analysis. We will compare what we see in the market with what we see in the factory.
“Anybody who deviates from the standard will be sanctioned accordingly. We normally withdraw our mark of quality from the erring manufacturer.
“We visit companies quarterly to carry out inspection. We also depend on consumers for information. We are not spirits but we are spiritual. So, if you see something, say something, “ he concluded.
Representatives of the individual companies in turn pledged their readiness to comply with the set rules and regulations of the SON.
The companies are Ibeto Petrochemical Industries Limited; Oyoyo Petroleum Resources Limited; Star Breed Global Resources Limited; Ednuel Oil and Gas Limited; BVM Royal Concept Limited, among others.