Engineering Practitioners Converge To Regulate Profession A one-day conference organized by the Engineering Council of Southern Sudan, ECOSS was held in Juba with the aim of informing and updating members of the council on registration and licensing of professional engineers, architects and technicians. 14 May 2011 Engineering Practitioners Converge To Regulate Profession Engineering practitioners at the conference in Nyakuron Cultural Centre [©Gurtong]
By Waakhe Simon Wudu JUBA, 13th May, 2011 [Gurtong]-A one-day conference organized by the Engineering Council of Southern Sudan, ECOSS was held in Juba with the aim of informing and updating members of the council on registration and licensing of professional engineers, architects and technicians. The conference was held at Nyakuron Cultural Center under the theme “The Engineer is Cornerstone to Development and Prosperity”: the function brought together over 300 hundred experts. The Minister for Human Resource Development in the Government of Southern Sudan H.E. Mary Jervas Yak officially opened the function. She lauded the idea of registering engineers while explaining that South Sudan had one registered professional council, the South Sudan Health Council. On behalf of the ECOSS, Eng. Barnaba Dumo Wani, the Chairperson of the council underscored the Council objectives in his opening remarks. He said that, the Council is the highest body that encourages and promotes pursuit of excellence in the Engineering Professional standards. Wani added that, it ascertains and regulates the quality of engineering education and the practice of engineering and technology in Southern Sudan. It advocates and ensures professional ethics and conduct amongst its practitioners. The Council’s aim of registering and licensing its members was a way of guarding and locking out quacks who misuse the title “engineer”. Hon. Mary Jervas explained that the need for professional standards in South Sudan is paramount due to massive reconstruction projects going on. Unfortunately, she observed, the construction industry has been operating without requisite professional standards, codes of conduct and licenses. “This situation has led to losses by customers who are prey to the unscrupulous engineers,” she alerted the forum. The minister underscored the government mandate of regulating the construction industry hence protect clients and South Sudanese. “If you look around you will see many houses that have collapsed; these houses were built by quacks masquerading as engineers”, she explained. She cautioned that; “If you are an engineer, you should register; if you don’t then know that you will be operating illegally”, Jervas cautioned. According to Engineer Thomas Kedini Legge, the Secretary General/Registrar of the ECOSS, the conference is a general assembly for engineers to mark the beginning of registration and licensing of all professionals working in the engineering field. Legge explained that the registration will help them develop an inventory of the professional engineers in South Sudan and eliminate the quacks. In an exclusive interview with Gurtong, the ECOSS Secretary General said that, following the signing of the six years peace deal, there was an increase in development initiatives in the region but very chaotic since there was lack of organization and protocol in the engineering sector. “Even if something is good, it needs rules. There are no rules. If there is then they are not properly implemented,” Kedini said. Building products used for construction in South Sudan for the last six years of the peace period were not of good quality and well inspected. Permanent houses collapsed after a year or two. Kedini said that, this was due to people who disguised themselves as engineers who existed due to the absence of a regulatory body. He identified two local examples that happened early this year. A bill board collapsed at Muduriah-runabout in Juba opposite the office of the governor of Central Equatoria State. It damaged a government office building. Likewise, a bill board fell on a tractor at the Ministries-Airport road next to Beijing hotel in Juba, damaging it consequently. Kedini also revealed that, there are some politically driven projects which affect the community. Leaders in power and holding sensitive political positions tend to influence low and unethical contractors into projects that would jeopardise lives of the people in the community. “The body will want to ensure that, these unethical practices are kicked out of Southern Sudan,” Kedini assured Gurtong. Posted in: Home, Governance -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
