No fewer than 10 warehouses of lubricating oil were raided and sealedby the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) on Thursday in different parts of Kano over what they called ‘sharp practices’ taking place in the sector.
The organization accused the affected dealers of selling base oil to unsuspecting customers as engine oil, which was supposed to be a raw material for engine oil, as a result of which the customers were not getting value for their money.
Speaking to journalist during the raid, Kano State coordinator of SON, Alhaji Yunusa B. Muhammad, said the action was a directive from the Director General of the organisation, Mr Anthony Osita Aboloma, that markets in the state must be rid of unwholesome practices.
“Following the directive, we swung into action and through intelligence gathering we discovered that in the lubricants sector, there are sharp practices coming in to it.
“In most cases, raw materials are sold as finished products, and of course, having not been blended, the quality has already been compromised, because in the blending process, other additives are added into it to make it a full-blown product,” he said.
Alhaji Muhammad said the few manufacturers that are in the state had the capacity to import their raw material, it was therefore a great concern to the organization as to who was buying and using the unfinished product.
Chairman of one of the sealed warehouses, Alhaji Hamisu Muhammad Dantinki, said he was not disturbed by the exercise as according to him, SON was only trying to sanitize the business.
“I am actually happy because there are so many things happening out there which we don’t like, and I believe with this kind of exercise our business is going to be sanitized. I am therefore ready to comply,” he said.
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