By Nkechi Eze
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) as part of efforts to promote integrity and strengthen professional ethical standards in the regulation of the engineering sector.
The agreement was formalised on Thursday at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja by the Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, and the President/Chairman of COREN, Engr. Professor Sadiq Zubair Abubakar.
In an official statement, ICPC spokesperson Demola Bakare explained that the collaboration is expected to build synergy and leverage the respective strengths of both agencies in the fight against corruption and professional misconduct in the engineering sector.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Dr. Aliyu described both organisations as critical to Nigeria’s socio-economic development, expressing confidence that the partnership will deepen the existing relationship between them.
“ICPC and COREN are critical in Nigeria. COREN is critical to our survival. The engineers help us to have this place we are using for this meeting. And our job as ICPC is to ensure that we have good quality in that area (engineering). We have a responsibility to ensure accountability and transparency in the public interest,” the ICPC chairman said.
He noted that COREN’s technical expertise would be particularly useful to the Commission’s Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI), stressing that the quality of government projects must conform to appropriate standards and designs. According to him, professional engineers found contributing to shoddy or abandoned projects would be reported to COREN for sanctions.
Dr. Aliyu further expressed concern over recurring incidents of building collapse in the country and called for preventive mechanisms to safeguard the profession and protect the public. “ICPC cannot be everywhere; that is why we need you to draw our attention to areas you find wanting in the field. Do not allow people to lose confidence in you,” he added.
In his own remarks, COREN President, Engr. Professor Sadiq Zubair Abubakar, welcomed the collaboration and affirmed the Council’s readiness to work with the ICPC to ensure that appropriate disciplinary measures are enforced against defaulters of engineering regulations in the country. He described the renewed pact as a necessary step to strengthen the existing relationship and reinforce public confidence in the profession.
