Following the impounding of a 40 feet-container load of imported fake tyres from one of the leading markets in Lagos International Trade Fair complex by the operatives of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the President of Africa Tyre Village (ATV), the lead tyre centre in the complex, Alhaji Isah Mohammed has dissociated his association from the crime.
Speaking to Business Hilights in a telephone interview on Monday when the new broke, he said “At ATV, we do not have anything to do with fake products. In fact, we work with SON, we partner with SON in making sure that importers of fake products are flushed out of ATV. Many of those we have pursued away from our market find their way into other markets with weak regulatory structures.
Alhaji Mohammed added further that “We at ATV, we have a taskforce structure that will even fish you out if you get involved in fake or substandard products. This is why every product purchased from ATV is guaranteed because we do not tolerate fakery and we always deal with culprits whenever we catch them in our market.
On his message to buyers of genuine tyres, he advised Nigerians to always come to ATV for their standard quality tyres at all times, assuring his administration has zero tolerance to substandard products.
However, efforts to reach out to top officials or Presidents of other mega markets including ASPMDA, UASPADA, Hardware and Tools, Mandilas, Plaza Owners, APT, BBA and other markets failed as their market leaders failed to either pick up their phones or respond to either sms or Voice WhatsApp message sent to them as at press time.
It would be recalled that the operatives of Son had over the weekend, nabbed and impounded a 40 feet-container load of imported fake tyres tested to have been produced without treads and necessary industrial standards.
Officials of the federal agency who spoke with our correspondent said “even though they have impounded the said container, they will not make their findings public pending when investigations and all those involved in the syndicate are rounded up and taken to court”.
The officials, who also confirmed that the arrests were not made in ATV, said SON will continue to smoke out substandard products in any market for the safety of Nigerians at all times.
