The President, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Mr. Kashim Ali, has urged the Federal Government to adequately equip the nation’s technical colleges to enable them to produce quality craftsmen.

Ali, according to a report by The Tide source, spoke against the backdrop of increased cases of collapsed buildings in the country.

He said unless the technical colleges were adequately equipped and monitored, Nigeria would continue to produce half-baked craftsmen and more cases of building collapse would be recorded.

“Most of the collapsed buildings were handled by quacks who call themselves ‘engineers’. To the best of my knowledge, we have not recorded any collapsed building that was handled by qualified engineers. Our members are well-trained; if an engineer supervises a building, it will not collapse,” he said.

Ali, also a former President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, said cheap building materials were being used by unqualified people in the construction of buildings that collapsed, adding that most of the quacks had yet to be apprehended and prosecuted by the government because they were, in most cases, engaged by wealthy individuals.

He said COREN had a disciplinary committee that usually carry out investigations into cases of collapse buildings and was legally empowered to try and sentence offenders.

Ali said, “Nobody has yet been arrested and prosecuted because most of these quack builders were employed by some important people in the society who can as well cover up for their criminal acts.

“Once there is a building collapse, we investigate; and if any of our members is found wanting, we take the appropriate disciplinary action against the member.”

He urged the government to step up awareness by highlighting the risks in employing quacks in the construction industry.