By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) on Friday announced the postponement of its forthcoming 32nd COREN Engineering Assembly slated for 5th to 7th August, 2024.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja, COREN President Prof. Sadiq Abubakar explained that the postponement became necessary following the 10-day nationwide protest started by Nigerians on Thursday over hunger and general hardship in the land.
The COREN President said, “Everything has been put in place to ensure that our expected participants at the Assembly from around the world are here as is the case annually, but due to the new development, the protest, we are compelled to inform all concerned that the scheduled date has now been postponed.
“And having consulted widely, we are now going to hold the the same 32nd Engineering Assembly from Monday 2nd to Wednesday 3rd September, 2024, i.e. by month, in Abuja. Venue and every other thing remain the same,” he added.
The COREN boss appealed to all Nigerians to see dialogue as the only sustainable path to peaceful resolution of issues such as being highlighted by the protesters.
“We appeal to all Nigerians to toe the path of dialogue for peaceful and sustainable resolution of the issues at stake here.
“On our part, we join hands with government in the quest for amicable resolution, and wish our great country a very quick resolution of the impasse,” he said.
COREN had earlier called a media briefing in respect of the 32nd Assembly where it hinted of some innovative steps it had taken in partnership with relevant stakeholders to standardise the practice of engineering as well as check infrastructure failure, particularly the incessant cases of building collapse in the country.
The nationwide protest which entered its second day on Friday assumed a less active dimension in and around the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, with limited movement of persons and vehicles on the major roads, most shops, especially those along the roads, under lock and key, amidst heavy presence of security personnel.
This shot up transport fare by almost 50 per cent. For instance, people paid between 800 to 1,000 naira from the Mararaba axis to Berger Bus Stop in Wuse which was 500 naira before now.
