From; Segun Babatunde in Gombe
Gombe state Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya says his administration has taken concrete steps towards addressing the infrastructural challenges in Gombe state.
The Governor was speaking while inaugurating the Gombe State Technical Committee (GSTC) and the Gombe State Expatriate Monitoring Committee (GSEMC) of the Engineering Regulations Monitoring by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN Tuesday.
He said from the construction of township roads to the land administration reforms and the enforcement of building codes and regulations, his government will continue to enforce regulations and ensure that engineering practices conform to the highest standards.
The Governor said any engineer supervising any project in Gombe state must be fully registered by COREN and must possess a practicing license as a condition for pre-qualification in all engineering projects in the State.
Governor Yahaya described Engineering as the bedrock of infrastructural development, saying the profession has played crucial role in the development of great countries.
He noted that the emergence of the Covid-19 has added another risk factor to the practice of engineering,
urging the committees to come up with appropriate guidelines to regulate the practice of engineering during the pandemic, in line with best practices.
He said for Nigeria to achieve its developmental objectives, strong emphasis must be placed on the role of engineering and other related professions.
The Governor who noted that COREN performs key role in ensuring that engineering practice in Nigeria is executed with strict compliance to relevant codes, observed that, “From bridges to highways, water treatment plants to electricity plants, drainages to dams, housing and office infrastructure, the role of engineering in infrastructural development cannot be over-emphasized”.
The Governor added “I understand that the inauguration of the State Technical Committee of the Engineering Regulations Monitoring by COREN is geared towards revolutionizing engineering practice in Nigeria and domesticating those best practices in Gombe State. It is my belief that with this development, there would be better regulation of engineering practice in Gombe State”.
He congratulated members of the committees for distinguishing themselves, expressing the hope that they will justify the confidence reposed in them.
Earlier speaking, the President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN, Engr. Ali Rabiu said the engineering regulations monitoring was first inaugurated in 1997 to ensure full compliance to the council’s codes.
The COREN President commended Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for allocating a piece of land to the Council on which its State office was constructed.
He said the goal of the Engineering Regulations Monitoring ERM was to add value to whatever resources a State may have, especially in the face of the covid-19 Pandemic.
The Gombe State Technical Committee and the State Expartriate Monitoring Committee are to be guided by the following terms of reference:
To locate and document organizations and practitioners and report to the Registrar;
To verify and monitor professional competence of works approving Officers;
To act as COREN watchdogs on maintenance, upholding engineering codes and ensure that all such works are in accordance with engineering design and specifications by Registered Engineers.
Other are to verify that all organizations working in the area of engineering contracting have at least an active Registered Engineer on their Board of Directors;
To observe and report cases of non-adherence to approved engineering codes of practice in respect of public and private works to the Registrar;
To report all defaulters and contravention of COREN Act to the Registrar;
To verify that all engineering practitioners (local and foreign) in the engineering organizations have valid COREN practicing license. END