ABUJA –Â Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, on Thursday, called on the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), to double its drive for internally generated revenue (IGR) to attain financial independence from government as well as pay remittances.
The committee, led by Hon. Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu), its chairman, also challenged the council management to galvanise professional efforts aimed at facilitating the signing into law of the council’s establishment Act Amendment Bill recently passed by the National Assembly.
The members made the call at the council headquarters in Abuja during an oversight visit to assess the level of implementation of the council’s 2017 and 2018 appropriations.
Hon. Okechukwu in his remark told the council that the committeeâ€
s visit was in line with its constitutional responsibility of ensuring that COREN “is fit for purpose” with regard to its utilisation of appropriated funds.
While disclosing that the council Amendment Bill passed by the House had been concurred by the Senate, Okechukwu charged the council to tap into its membership resources to enable it get timely presidential assent.
He said the amendment if signed into law would ensure adequate autonomy and financial independence for the council as well as enable it to expand its nets toward regulating activities of both local and expatriate engineers and workmen coming into Nigeria.
“The relevance and importance of engineering is all encompassing given the fact that almost everything we use to aid life is engineered.
“You build a house, it’s all about engineering, ranging from the structure to the electrical and water connection all requires engineering inputs. Likewise cars that we drive and the road on which we drive are all products of engineering.
“So whichever way you look, engineering is one of the most important part of social and economic development by virtue of its creations.
“And I’m very optimistic that the Amendment Bill which has received concurrence from the Senate, if signed by the President would give more power and reach to the council in terms of its work and revenue generating capacity,” Okechukwu said.
Engr. Kamila Maliki, the Registrar of COREN, while commending the committee for standing by the council in its effort to achieve the amendment, informed members that the council has desired to advance its regulatory roles with a view to attaining the membership of the International Engineering Alliance (IEA).
He described the organisation as the “global elite club” of about 34 countries including the United States.
“The council was invited to the Alliance office in the U.S. for talks and a proposal to visit COREN in Nigeria to see how we operate,” Mr. Maliki said.
Briefing the committee on its budget performance for 2018, the Registrar who said he was on his way of the COREN given the impending expiration of his term told lawmakers that out of N648.5 million approved, only N190.2 million had been released as at September this year.
He disclosed that the council which generated the sum of N722.2 million was in deficit of over N2 million having exhausted its IGR on recurrent and overhead in the last one year, having remitted N30 million to government coffers.
The assertion alarmed the committee members, with the chairman querying the council for living above its means.
Okechukwu said: “The deficit status of the Council after paying N30 million remittances is a cause for concern. You ought to know how much you earn and how much is overhead cost before arriving at the percentage you can remit.
“And you also need to be clear if the percentage is as stated by law or based on guidelines because I’m not comfortable with a man who lives above his means,” he said.
The post Reps Task COREN On Aggressive Revenue Drive appeared first on Independent Newspapers Nigeria.
Reps Task COREN On Aggressive Revenue Drive
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