COREN seeks exemption from FG’s professional non-funding policy

<p>The President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, Sadiq Abubakar, has asked the Federal Government to exempt the council from the non-funding policy of professional and regulatory bodies in the country scheduled to begin in January 2024.</p>, <p>He stated this at the 31st Engineering Assembly themed, “Entrenching and strengthening engineering practitioners code of conduct for resilient engineering practice in Nigeria” held in Abuja on Tuesday.</p>, <p>This was as the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, urged the council to accept the policy as an opportunity to be innovative and stamp its authority in providing engineering solutions to the infrastructural deficits faced in the country.</p>, <p>In June, the PUNCH reported the announcement by the federal government to stop funding professional bodies and councils. The move was in line with the decision of the Presidential Committee on Salaries and is expected to take effect from January 2024.</p>, <p>According to the memo, the affected councils must take full responsibility for their personal, overhead, and capital expenditure.</p>, <p>But the COREN president, speaking in his welcome address to important personalities including the Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum, Ogun State deputy governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, and the immediate past national secretary of the All-Progressive Congress, Iyiola Omisore, among others gave a defence on why the council should be exempted.</p>, <p>Zubair queried why the engineering body established to improve efficiencies and ensure only competent practitioners undertake engineering professional services should not be exempted from such a policy because of the excellent work it is rendering to Nigerian society.</p>, <p>According to him, the council is not a professional association but a regulatory agency rendering government functions to protect the general public through the registration and licensing of engineers, consulting firms, and engineering firms.</p>, <p>He said, “Over the years, COREN has