By Nnenna Ezeah

LAGOS — Cable Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, CAMAN, has called for stiffer sanctions against importers and marketers of sub-standard cables in the country.

Secretary for the Association, Mr. Gerald Duruemeruo, in a statement in Lagos, yesterday, said activities of importers and marketers of sub-standard cables were “satanic and inimical” to the growth and development of local industries.

Duruemeruo said: “We are talking about Vision 2020, and some individuals are busy sabotaging efforts of government in that regard.”

The association stressed the need for urgent government intervention in the sector by prescribing stiffer penalty through appropriate legal instrument against importers and marketers of counterfeit cables in the country.

According to him, “recently, the Consumer Protection Council, CPC and CAMAN conducted raid at strategically identified fake cable markets in Nigeria and several tones of counterfeit cables of various brands were seized.  We are awaiting what will happen to these fake cables as we expect them to be destroyed.”

He said that the CPC South-South Zonal director in Port-Harcourt, had witnessed one of such raids in the Rivers State capital, where over 200 coils from two reputable companies (names withheld) of mainly counterfeit products were recovered from the suspected fraudsters.

He noted that at a meeting with the CPC officials in Abuja, shortly after the raids, a close monitoring of the spots where counterfeit cables wre marketed in Abuja by the enforcement unit of CPC was recommended. “A follow-up raid and monitoring of Abuja market had become paramount to safe-guard the integrity of innocent consumers,” he said.