Funmi Lawrence
The Council for the Registration of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) says it will go into full scale investigation to know the causes of collapse of pedestrian bridges in Enugu and Kwara states.
Prof. Joseph Odigure, Registrar of COREN made this known in a statement he signed and made available to journalists on Monday in Abuja.
The statement noted that the council was disturbed by the incessant cases of buildings collapsing across the country adding that COREN would go into full scale investigation to ascertain causes.
According to it, COREN had visited the site of the recent incident in Enugu State where the scaffold framework of a section of a pedestrian bridge on Agbani Road, Enugu South Local Government Area, collapsed on June 12.
“In line with the mandate of COREN, the Council having carried out an on – the – spot assessment of the site of the collapsed bridge and interacted with the representatives of other relevant professional bodies, will undertake a full scale investigation.
“The recent collapse of a bridge in Kwara State after a heavy downpour also brings to mind the need to regularly ascertain the integrity of Engineering infrastructure in Nigeria.
“Pursuant to Section 21 (A) (1) (as amended by Act No. 3 2018), the Council shall establish a Department to be known as the Engineering Regulations Monitoring Department which shall be charged with the duties of monitoring firms.
“It will also ensure that Engineering is practiced in Nigeria in accordance with relevant codes of Engineering practice in the protection of her development and economic investment.
“COREN is in the process of inaugurating national and state technical committees on Engineering Regulation Monitoring.
“Therefore, state governors, institutions, and professional bodies in Engineering practice, Immigration Service and the Police, are hereby put on notice to quickly nominate their representatives as already requested by COREN,” the statement elaborated.
It called on the general public to visit COREN portal online to check the status of any Engineering practitioner before engaging him.
The statement urged all Engineering practitioners that had anything to do with the collapsed structures, including information that would assist in the investigation, to report immediately to Enugu area office of COREN.
