WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE REGULATION OF ENGINEERING IN NIGERIA (COREN) ENGR. ALI A. RABIU, FNSE, AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 28TH COREN ENGINEERING ASSEMBLY HOLDING AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE, ABUJA, 19TH – 21ST AUGUST, 2019.
Protocols
All praise due to the Almighty God, Who spared our lives to be present at the occasion of the 28th COREN Engineering Assembly – the largest gathering of all Engineering Practitioners in Nigeria. The Engineering Assembly provides a unique opportunity to members of the engineering family and stakeholders in the Engineering Profession to rub minds on topical issues in their practice and reflect on the growth of the profession and its contribution to the development of our great nation.
Let me respectfully welcome the Special Guest of Honour, His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It is equally heart-warming to welcome in our midst, the Chairman of this occasion, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, CFR, the Executive Governor of Katsina State. I wish to particularly welcome our Chief Host, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing as well as the host, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory.
I also affectionately welcome all dignitaries including the leadership and members of the National Assembly, Executive Governors, Members of the Federal and State Executive Councils, Chief Executives of other Professional Regulatory Bodies, amongst others.
Your Excellencies,considering the fact that this Assembly is my first since I became the President and Chairman of the Council, I want to briefly appreciate all Council members,as representative of all stakeholders for finding me worthy of the leadership position. I therefore wish to pledge my continued dedication to the vision of the forebears of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). There is a general consensus that the last administration in COREN worked tremendously and achieved one of the major impediments to our quest to promote and ensure highest standards of professionalism in engineering practice in Nigeria. That is the amendment of the COREN Act, CAP E11, 2004.
Distinguished Guests, I and all Engineering professional collectively give thanks to President Muhammed Buhari, GCFR, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for his assent to the bill. The amendment broadens the powers of the Council with far reaching powers of prosecution of infractions, regulating industrial training, continuing professional development, capacity building and local content in Nigeria engineering industry. Specifically, the new Act provides that all foreign engineering firms establish their design offices in Nigeria, as well as granting compulsory attestation to all expatriate quota for engineering practitioners.
Your Excellencies, the principal thrust of the present Council is therefore to consolidate on this major achievement and correct the lapses inevitable in all human endeavors and tackle the new engineering challenges and chart bold plans for transforming engineering practice in Nigeria.
We will consequently take steps in ensuring enforcement of the Act and all Regulations of Council. As stakeholders, it is hoped that engineering professionals will work within the engineering codes, ethics and standards and be committed to improving the lives of the people by consolidating efforts along with the government to address key challenges of climate change, resettling displaced communities, insecurity across the country, failed infrastructures and others.I wish to confirm that COREN and all its stakeholders are therefore ready to collaborate with federal,states and local governments, legislators, the Diplomatic Corps and all Nigerians to rebuild and reposition Nigeria as the heartbeat and reference point for the African continent.
…the principal thrust of the present Council is therefore to consolidate on this major achievement and correct the lapses inevitable in all human endeavors and tackle the new engineering challenges and chart bold plans for transforming engineering practice in Nigeria
It is in this regards that the theme of this year Engineering Assembly was carefully selected as the“Strategic Alliance Amongst Engineering Professionals for Enhanced Opportunities”. Discussions at the assembly will be centred around this theme with the sole aim of proposing strategies that will develop, harness and fulfil our enormous potential thus turning us, as engineering practitioners into a force to be reckoned with in the Nigerian quest for development.
One sure way to make any progress in Engineering in Nigeria is to minimize politics and emphasize professionalism.
We must demonstrate the will to isolate and strengthen the essence of the profession. Building, construction, and handcrafting must be separated from engineering.
Pure engineering, which I call ingeniereing, must stand alone to be better understood and developed. Without trying to be elitist, I really dont see any importance of techs in COREN.
At best, they should be represented in an advisory board of noningeniers but allied vocations.