Stakeholders in the engineering sector have voted down a bill that would give the Chartered Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers legal status.
They expressed their concerns at a public hearing in Abuja held by the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, chaired by Sen. Ibrahim Shekarau.
The hearing focused on two bills: one to establish the Chartered Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering of Nigeria and another to establish the Integrated Data Management Commission.
The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), and the Nigerian Communications Commission were among the stakeholders (NCC).
Mr Kings Adeyemi, National Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, pointed out that there was no mention of electrical engineering in the Engineers Act, describing it as abnormal.
“This is why we are advocating for legislation that will provide legal support to the Institute,” he said.
Mr. Joseph Odigure, Registrar of COREN, stated that the provisions of the bill were a duplication of the council’s mandate in all aspects and ramifications.
“We would have preferred to see a more comprehensive, well-thought-out bill for the electrical sector.”
‘As much as regulatory bodies are necessary, we cannot duplicate our functions.
“We are here to state unequivocally that the way it is presented is a duplication of COREN’s function and mandate.”
“As a result, it is not in the spirit of regulation, which is purely to increase social acceptance of government functions in order to increase the value for money of society.”
Mr Umaru Kawu, Director Legal Services, SON, stated that some of the proposed institute’s functions conflicted with those of his organization.
“Some of the Institute’s proposed functions, particularly Section 1(2)(d) (11) of the bill authorizing the Institute to certify equipment and products, conflict with the functions of SON under Section 5 of the SON ACT, 2015.”
“The SON has been given the authority to develop and approve standards in metrology, materials, commodities, structures, and processes for the certification of products in commerce and industry throughout Nigeria.”
“The organization is also empowered to organize tests and do whatever is required to ensure compliance with standards designated and approved by its council.”
“We are thus of the opinion that, while the proposed institute can carry out registration, certification, and standardisation of practice, education, services, and personnel qualification, certification of products that are linked 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,” he said.