The Abia State Government has disclosed plans to have a material testing laboratories in the three senatorial districts of the state.
Speaking at the Deputy Governor’s conference room, Government House Umuahia when he received in audience, the President of COREN, Engr. Sadiq Zubair Abubakar FNSE, alongside his team, Governor Alex Otti who was represented by his Deputy, Engr Ikechukwu Emetu said the laboratories will be distributed at the south, Aba hosting it, Central, Umuahia and Ohafia hosting at the North.
To sustain the State’s effort at making sure that all projects are of international approved standards, Gov. Otti expressed his administration’s preparedness to have a proper hand shake with the COREN, as it will greatly assist to know exactly what is going into people’s site, to bring to its barest minimum cases of building collapse.
His words, “as a government, we met the state In a very bad shape and we have been trying as much as possible to take what is left as a state and rebuild the state. For two years running, Abia state has become a construction site .
“While doing that, we have been getting information concerning badly built structures and the structure that has failed integrity test here and there. As a government we are not shy to pull whole alot of structure like that down, markets that are in very bad shape in the state, we are able to pull them down and we have been having a whole lot resistance here and there but we have been able to tell them that it will be better we all go to the court than going for burial, unwanted and unplanned burials”.
Gov. Otti decried the increased invasion of substandard building materials in the market and enjoined the COREN to lead the fight against the ugly menace, bringing in the Standard Organization of Nigeria, SON and holding them for proper accountability when it comes to the production of the materials.
He also enjoined the COREN to put their feet down and make sure things are gotten right in Nigeria.
Earlier in his address, the President of COREN, Engr. Sadiq Zubair Abubakar FNSE, who espoused and expounded what COREN stands for and what the body does, said that the body which was established in 1970, is one of the first regulatory bodies in Nigeria and has been regulating engineering perspectives, engineering education in the universities, polytechnics, monotechnics and technical colleges, regulating trainings and professional development of engineers, technicians and artisans.
He harped on regular updates and development of engineers in knowledge, competency, skills and proficiencies.
He disclosed that COREN which has Memorandum of Understanding with the Immigration Service, Police, ICPC, will ensure that after the inauguration ceremony in the state, which will also see to the establishment of inspectorate in each of the sector, regulates any activities that is happening in the state effectively with the collaboration of the state government and the enforcement team.
He further disclosed that COREN is currently regulating oil and gas, telecommunication, power and energy, maritime, aviation and aerospace, construction, agro allied, biomedical engineering, transport and transportation engineering, mining engineering.
