Govt backs CPN to tackle quackery in computing profession
….To curtail revenue loss
The Federal Government, though the Ministry of Education, has promised to back the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN) with logistics that will help the regulatory body effectively tackle quackery in the computing profession.
The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, gave the pledge in Abuja while inaugurating the newly elected members of the CPN in Abuja, recently.
He added that there was the need to address the situation where Information Technology (IT) practitioners in Nigeria operate without being registered and regulated by CPN.
He said that the situation is giving rise to quackery, which has cost the federal government huge revenue losses, aside putting executable IT projects at risk.
The newly elected President of CPN and Chairman of Council, Prof. Charles Uwadia, in his remark after the council’s inauguration, said that quackery had long existed in the IT profession in the country, even with attendant loss of huge revenue through capital flight.
He lamented that most IT professionals who execute big and small projects, are not registered with CPN, and are not being regulated by CPN, whose mandate according to Decree 49 of 1993, is to monitor and regulate the practice of computing profession in the country.
Uwadia explained that every individual and organisation that is practicing computing profession in the country is supposed to register with CPN, but decried the situation where majority of the big players were not registered with CPN, yet they practice the computing profession in Nigeria without paying their dues and service charges that are accruable to government, amounting to huge loss of revenue.
He listed three point agenda, which include enforcement of the Act setting up CPN, in relation to revenue generation; expanding the value proposition for members; and sustainability of mandate upon which CPN should operate and exercise its powers.
“Quackery can be more devastating, because it leads to huge loss of revenue and I am happy that the minister has thrown his support for CPN to carry out its regulatory function and bring all computing organisations to get registered with CPN,” Uwadia added.
