“Sethi Brothers Produces Sub-standard Materials,” Customers Express Anger

Monrovia, Liberia: Several customers have expressed frustration over the production of allegedly substandard quality materials being produced by Sethi Brothers Incorporated.

Among them is Dominic Nimely, President of the Patriotic Entrepreneurs of Liberia (PATEL), who has voiced serious concerns about the low quality and high cost of products manufactured by the foreign-owned company.

“When you buy chairs from Sethi Brothers and sit on them, they break,” Nimely said during an appearance on Punch FM’s morning show, highlighting the damage and financial burden these products are creating for ordinary citizens.

“When we were importing steel rods into the country, they were much cheaper and of a higher quality. But now that Sethi is producing steel rods locally, the products are both substandard and expensive,” he intoned.

Nimely's critique of the low quality and exorbitant price tag of Sethi’s products has ignited renewed conversations in the business community, where murmurs of dissatisfaction have long simmered but rarely surfaced this publicly.

Many local entrepreneurs and consumers echo Nimely’s sentiments, claiming that the once-trusted name (Sethi Brothers) in hardware and construction materials has now become a source of frustration rather than reliability.

From construction sites to furniture shops, the complaints are piling up, with business owners decrying financial losses and customer dissatisfaction due to the low quality of Sethi production.

Construction workers are alarmed that steel rods are bending too easily or breaking under pressure, while shop owners lament chairs collapsing under minimal weight, as customer complaints have become a daily occurrence.

“What’s the point of ‘Made in Liberia’ if it doesn’t hold up?” questioned Sarah Kollie, a Monrovia-based hardware dealer. “We want to support local manufacturing, but not at the cost of quality. For now, we’re paying more for less.”

Many believe the issue goes just beyond the quality of products—it also touches on economic fairness and the protection of consumers.

PATEL and other advocacy groups are now calling for immediate intervention from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, urging the government to carry out product testing, set clearer quality standards, and enforce penalties for companies that fall short.

“This is not a war against foreign businesses,” Nimely clarified. “It’s a fight for dignity and fairness. Liberians deserve value for their money. If Sethi Brothers wants to enjoy the benefits of doing business here, they must meet acceptable standards,” he added.

Sethi Brothers Inc., a prominent name in Liberia’s manufacturing sector, has yet to respond publicly to these allegations. Attempts to reach the company’s representatives for comment were unsuccessful by press time.

Meanwhile, public debate rages on, with many Liberians taking to radio shows, online platforms, and community forums to share their experiences—some with frustration, others with sarcasm.

What remains clear is that in the court of public opinion, Sethi Brothers has some serious adjustments to make. For a company that once symbolized industrial progress in Liberia, the path forward may require more than just improved marketing—it may require going back to the basics: quality, trust, and customer satisfaction.