Managing director of Coleman Wires and Cables Industries Limited, George Onafowokan, has expressed concern over the failure of the responsible government agency to prosecute individuals selling sub-standard cables in Nigeria.
He made this disclosure at the weekend while hosting the Licensed Electrical Contractor Association of Nigeria (LECAN) Lagos/South West zone in Ogun State.
Onafowokan highlighted the ongoing issue of cable adulteration in markets across the country, pointing out that the problem is rooted in the marketplace rather than within corporate offices.
“We are 100 per cent against adulterated and fake cables. The key problem is our market across the country. The adulteration is not done in the offices but in the market. We have not seen anyone prosecuted for selling substandard cables in Nigeria,” he stated.
Onafowokan further criticised the lack of decisive action, citing an instance where a government agency seized over nine containers of sub-standard cables at a warehouse in Ajangbadi, saying despite the seizure, the cables were not destroyed and were eventually returned to the market after two years.
He emphasised the need for a collective effort to combat the sale of sub-standard cables and urged electricians to insist on using standard cables, noting that the current situation is detrimental to the business, reiterating the company’s commitment to growing the capacity of made-in-Nigeria products.
During the meeting, LECAN unveiled an anti-sub-standard electric materials campaign aimed at combating the proliferation of fake wires, which they described as hazardous to human life and property.
The national president of LECAN, Dr. John Etim, said, “the association announced plans to establish an anti-standard electrical material disciplinary committee to ensure that its members use approved materials.”
Etim warned that members found culpable of using substandard electrical materials would face sanctions and be reported to the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) for disciplinary action.
Chairman of LECAN’s Lagos State chapter, Alhaji Bada Waheed expressed the association’s readiness to engage with technical professionals and stakeholders in the electricity management sector to address the issue of sub-standard cables.
“We hope our deliberations will be implemented and put into practice by all relevant government agencies in the power sector for us to have a danger-free and safe Nigeria,” he said.
At the meeting, chairman of Coleman Wires and Cables, Asiwaju Solomon Onafowokan, along with the MD of Coleman, George Onafowokan and executive director, Michael Onafowokan received awards in recognition of their contributions to the industry.
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