Mike Achu, Chairman, Cross River State Consumer Protection Committee, has informed www.calitown.com that his committee has intercepted a Chinese syndicate in Calabar, specializing in the re-bagging of imported substandard Chinese cement into Unicem and Dangote cement bags and putting same into the market for unsuspecting buyers.
The cement he further disclosed is brought into Calabar in large containers through the Calabar River and kept in a warehouse filled with Unicem and Dangote cement bags, unknown to the two cement companies. Working mostly at night, the syndicate re-bags the cement and loads Investigations by www.calitown.com however reveal that the Chinese syndicate seems not to be working in isolation as a few criminal minded security agents and persons working in the two renowned cement companies are colluding with the Chinese syndicate to push their illegal product into the market.
Besides Achu’s revelation, competent security sources added that, the same Chinese syndicate was responsible for the illegal importation of synthetic rice brought into Calabar but intercepted by the Consumer Protection Committee, some time ago. “These Chinese people cannot successfully carry out their illegal activities if our people here are not behind them. You think that they just landed here by default and started wrecking havoc, our local people are involved and it is very unfortunate that is happening and several persons who should stop this are turning their backs while they do these illegal things. The re-bagging they are doing is under-cutting the genuine production efforts of Unicem and Dangote companies. I am happy that the Consumer Protection Committee is working at identifying this illegalities and bringing them to the fore; it makes our work easier” one source who has elected to remain anonymous said.
Attempts to speak with police authorities on the matter were impossible as www.calitown.com was informed that the Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Inuwa Hafiz was in Abuja to attend to official matters.
