The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has called for the speedy passage of the National Building Code by the National Assembly to enable the regulator bring quack engineers to book.
The council decried its inability to prosecute non-professionals who are the major cause of increased building collapse in the country.
According to a report by Punch, COREN President, Ali Rabiu, stated this while addressing journalists after a meeting with the presidents of some professional bodies at the council chambers in Abuja recently.
He said there was no law in place to curb the menace, which had rendered the council ineffective in addressing the situation that had brought embarrassment to the built environment.
Rabiu said, “As for conviction, our powers are limited to our registered practitioners, we sanction our practitioners who err but those who are involved that are not professionals should be convicted by the government.
“That is why when the developers are arraigned, we expect the higher authorities to take legal action. There is no law to back us on convictions and compensations.
“There is the need for a law on enforcement and compliance of the approved National Building Code by the National Assembly. This must be strictly complied with and all state governments must be mandated to domesticate the code.
The COREN president further noted that the only way to solve the problem was to setup a construction court that would handle cases of misconduct.
He said the court would introduce functionality test for two storey buildings upward and ensure the enforcement of the use of standard building materials.
