SON Reveals How Nigerians Can Identify Fake Cooking Gas Cylinders

…Destroys 4-Containers of LPG Cylinders, Roofing Sheets Worth N450Million

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has warned Nigerians to be wary of purchasing fake and expired LPG cylinders otherwise known as cooking gas cylinders, even as it has destroyed substandard cylinders and Roofing sheets worth over N450 million in Lagos.

SON has warned Nigerians to always look-out for country of origin of the cylinder, address of the manufacturer and the date of manufacture which must be stated on the body of the cylinder before purchasing it.

Speaking at the SON destruction site at Amuwo Odofin Lagos on Tuesday, Director General of SON, Osita Aboloma, who was represented by the agency’s Director, Compliance and Inspectorate, Engr. Obiora Manafa said most of the destroyed cylinders are from China and Turkey.

A breakdown of the products which SON said were imported from China and Turkey, includes; 4×40 containers of LPG Cylinders of various sizes, 15 rolls of aluminium roofing sheets, and 15 bundles of fake corrugated roofing sheets.

He said the products were seized mostly in warehouses across Lagos State.

According to the SON DG, “The products were seized due to non-compliance to standards, failing of SON’s laboratory test and not having SONCAP certificates, which means that they are fake because they are not approved by SON for importation into Nigeria and not fit for use.

“These products being destroyed today have failed our laboratory test, as such, they are substandard and dangerous to users.

“We are not happy destroying peoples goods, because it costs huge money to buy and import, but we cannot compromise safety and endanger the lives of innocent Nigerian citizens because of money.”

On how the product came into the country, he said: “Most of these products were discovered through SON raiding of warehouses and were found to be substandard.

They did not come with SONCAP. And as you know SON is not in the ports, so it is difficult to really know from which source, whether seaports or border posts.

Most of them, when we raid their warehouses, they will abandon the goods and flee because there are no documents to show from which port they really came from. Also, most times, the suspects disappear once we intercept the products, but we always continue the investigation to arrest them.”

On what happens after destruction, Manafa explained that after the destruction of the products, they will be sold to recycling firms and the proceeds remitted to the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA).

Also speaking during the destruction exercise, SON Group Head, LPG, Engr. Nwaoma Olujie, urged Nigerians to be wary of the LPG Cylinders they are buying in the market, saying that what should be looked out for when buying are: Country of origin of the cylinder, address of the manufacturer and the date of manufacture.

“Those are the most important features of a genuine cylinder. Any cylinder that does not have them is fake.

“The lifespan of an LPG Cylinder is 15 years. The period the cylinder lasted before you bought it inclusive,” Engr. Olujie added.