Infrastructural failures: Experts seek stricter measures to control engineering practice

‘ Mediocrity, non- partisanship, problems of Nigeria's democracy’

TO arrest infrastructural failures, experts in the built environment have advocated stricter measures to control engineering practice and punishment for professionals who fail to adhere to the rules.

They said the call becomes necessary following the incessant infrastructural failures in the country and the burden they place on the engineering family, especially civil/ structural engineers.

Prof. Ikponmwosa Efe Ewaen, who led the call during the investiture ceremony of Johnson Adegboyega

Adeoye as the 22nd President of the Nigerian Institution of Structural Engineers ( Nistruste), noted that errors had been committed in the past in managing the crises.

According to him, "for us to mitigate against infrastructure collapse in Nigeria, which has become a burden to civil/ structural engineering family, our national character ( self- discipline, core values, and integrity) must be re- appraised and re- engineered in line with global best practices."

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N another development, a professor of Political

Science, Lagos State University ( LASU), Kayode Soremekun, has said that mediocrity and non- partisanship are problems of democracy in the country.

He stated this during the yearly Nigerian Political Science Association ( NIPSA) Southwest zone conference held at Lead City University, Ibadan, with the theme, “Nigeria: Democracy, Ominous Prophecies and Service Delivery.”

Soremekun said that the problem of Nigerian democracy was born before independence, citing instances where political observers, pre- independence, presaged the tragedy of Nigeria's democracy.

According to him, Nigeria's democracy had been elitedriven, which necessitated the failure in service delivery.

Ewaen, who spoke on the topic: "Civil/ Structural Engineers and the burden of infrastructural collapse in Nigeria", urged the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria ( COREN) to ensure that practisinglicence and seals issued to personnel have specialisation and specific practice area.