By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
Stakeholders in the engineering sector on Thursday, rejected a bill seeking to give legal backing to the Chartered Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
They made their position known at a public hearing organised by Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service chaired by Sen. Ibrahim Shekarau held in Abuja.
The hearing was on two bills; “A bill for an Act to established Chartered Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering of Nigeria and for other matters connected thereto and “A Bill for an Act to establish Integrated Data Management Commission”.
Among the stakeholders were the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the National Universities Commission (NUC), Standard Organizlsation of Nigeria (SON) and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Mr Kings Adeyemi, National Chairman Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers decried that in the Engineers Act there was no where electrical engineering was mentioned.
“This is why we are calling for a bill that will give legal backing to the Institute.”
Registrar of COREN, Mr Joseph Odigure said the bill presented was a copy of the mandate of COREN in all aspects and ramifications.
“We would have loved to see a more proper, conceptualised bill for the electrical sector.
‘In as much as we need regulatory bodies, we cannot duplicate our functions.
“We are here to say categorically that the way it is presented is a duplication of the function and mandate of COREN.
“Therefore, it is not in the spirit of regulation which is purely to enhance social acceptance of government function to enhance the value for money of the society.”
Umaru Kawu, Director Legal Services, of Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) said that some of the functions of the proposed institute clashed with that of SON.
“Some of the proposed functions of the institute especially Section 1(2) (d) (ii) of the bill empowering the Institute to certify equipment and products clash with the functions of SON under Section 5 of the SON ACT, 2015.
“The SON has been empowered to establish and approve standards in respect of metrology, materials, commodities, structures and processes for the certification of products in commerce and industry throughout Nigeria.
“The organisation is also empowered to organise test and do everything necessary to ensure compliance with standards designated and approved by its council.
“We are thus of the view that while the proposed institute can carry out registration, certification and standardisation of the practice, education, services and qualification of personnel, certification of products which is tied to standards remains within the mandate of SON as the National Standards Body.
“This section of the bill should be amended to remove registration and certification of equipment and products.”
