By Olawale Lamina
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has emphasized the need for continued collaboration between the Commission and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria ,COREN) to leverage their expertise in infrastructure development across the country.
Dr. Aliyu made the observation during a recent visit by COREN’s President, Engineer Professor Sadiq Zubair Abubakar and other management members to the ICPC Headquarters.
A statement by the ICPC Director, Public Enlightenment, Education and Spokesperson, Mr. Demola Bakare, informed that the primary purpose of the visit was to review the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two agencies to strengthen their partnership.
Dr. Aliyu underscored the need for both ICPC and COREN to be committed to transparency and integrity, making their collaboration crucial for improving infrastructural development and ensuring adherence to required standards.
“ICPC is committed to working with you because you have the expertise, and we have the enforcement power,” stated Dr. Aliyu.
According to the statement, the ICPC boss also expressed concern over the current challenge facing the country in the areas of road and building construction,pledging that the Commission would ensure compliance with established standards.
Dr. Aliyu noted that COREN’s expertise would be invaluable to the Constituency and Executive Project Tracking Group (CEPTG) initiative of the ICPC.
The statement added that Engineer Abubakar who spoke on behalf of COREN stressed the need to review the MoU with ICPC in order to reinforce their partnership and hold accountable those responsible for substandard infrastructure.
The COREN Chief expressed his expectation for the establishment of a joint committee to update the MoU, which was originally signed in 2014, to reflect current realities, noting, “We must strengthen our collaboration with ICPC, as our predecessors saw the importance of formalizing this relationship through an MoU.”
Also, Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Clifford Okwudiri Okparaodu, DSSRS, echoed the need to revise the existing agreement in line with the present situation in the country and praised COREN’s leadership for recognizing the concerns of the ICPC Chairman and the Nigerian public, assuring that a committee would be formed to work closely with the COREN team.
The statement emphasized the inclusion of the presentation of the MoU to the ICPC Chairman during the visit, as well as and the exchange of a commemorative plaque from the COREN President.
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