SON to prosecute 9 over adulteration of fertilizer

The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) said it is prosecuting nine suspects over alleged adulteration of fertilizer and selling same to member of the public.

The Gombe State coordinator of the agency, Malam Umar Yakubu, who disclosed this to newsmen at the weekend in Gombe, said the suspects were arrested through a joint operation with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

According to him, shops of the suspects were raided during the joint operation and the substances used to adulterate the fertilizer were impounded and the suspects handed over to the EFCC for prosecution.

Yakubu stated that between January and November, the SON office in Gombe has raided several shops of fertilizer, cables, and palm oil dealers over issues related to adulteration and selling of substandard products.

He added that two companies, Atlantis Bottled Water and Abba Bakery were issued with the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) certificates, “which meant that their products are now safe for consumption by the public.”

The coordinator advised management of the two companies to redouble their effort to sustain the quality, safety and performance of their products to ensure that they maintain their qualities.

He added that agency is currently assessing and processing the application of 10 other companies that have applied for the MANCAP certification.

Therefore, he urged other manufacturers to also obtain the certificate and ensure their products conform to the standard to meet up with competitiveness, recognition and acceptability in the global market.