By Innocent Anaba

A Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, ordered parties to maintain status quo in a case before it, involving Lafarge Cement WAPCO and Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, pending the hearing of the motion on notice and the preliminary objection, while further hearing in the matter was adjourned till October 10.

At the hearing in the matter before Justice Ademola, parties were to have argued the application for interlocutory order for injunction, but the defendants served a preliminary objection on the claimant, which prompted the court to order parties to maintain status quo pending the hearing of the substantive suit.

By order, SON will not enforce the new directives issued by its Director-General at the National Stakeholders Forum on Blocks and Allied Products held recently in Abuja and Lagos, which were meant to take effect from today, October 1.

Lafarge is in the suit, asking the court to restrain SON, its agents, from closing its business premises, following its (SON) recent directive on product labelling and traceability requirements, pending the hearing and determination of the present suit.

Lafarge, a cement manufacturer, which is challenging the power of SON to pre-approve all advertisement/commercials of the plaintiff’s as well as certify block makers in Nigeria, is contending that the directive by SON has conferred unfair advantage to its competitors and enthroning monopoly in the cement industry.

The company in an affidavit in support of the suit, said SON convened a meeting of stakeholders of the cement manufacturing sector and at the said meeting, the defendant came up with an action plan termed The SON’s Directives on Product Labelling and Traceability Requirements, a set of new policies to be observed by cement manufacturers.