Nigerian engineers to end execution of contracts with foreign engineers
Anambra State’s Chief Firefighter, Engr. Martin Onyedikachukwu Agbili, has disclosed that the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) and Council For Regulation of Engineering In Nigeria (COREN) are working on plans to ensure that Nigerian governments, groups or individuals no longer use foreign engineers to execute contracts in the country to the detriment of local engineers.
Speaking at the award ceremony and spouses’ night of the Awka branch of NSE in Awka, the Anambra State capital, during the week, Agbili, Director of Anambra State Fire Service, lamented that in the past engineers were denied a lot of things, enthusing, however, that going by extant government policies and actions, he was optimistic that the engineering profession would be given its pride of place in the current dispensation in the country.
Agbili who is also the immediate past chairman of the Awka branch of Nigeria Society of Engineers, stressed that NSE and COREN intend to put an end to a situation whereby foreign engineers undertake jobs in Nigeria that indigenous engineers should have executed, adding that COREN was working assiduously through viable policies to ensure that local engineers were patronised thereby giving teeth to the engineering profession in Nigeria.
In his own contribution, Engr. Chris Azubuogu, the lawmaker representing Nnewi-North, South and Ekwusigo Federal Constituency in the 9th House of Representatives, also stressed the need for engineering and technology to be accorded utmost priority in the country especially as it relates to policy formulation and implementation.
Azubogu emphasized that the capacity of Nigerian engineers should be developed to enable them to get involved in conceptualisation, planning, design and implementation of policies and programmes regarding infrastructural development of the country.
The federal lawmaker popularly known as ‘Mr. Projects’ because of his many infrastructure projects in his constituency and who received an award for his sterling contributions to the engineering profession at the occasion, said it was of paramount importance that Nigerian engineers were challenged through local patronage to enhance the practice of the profession in the country.
Tagged ‘Healthy Engineers Create Healthy Relationship’, the award ceremony and Spouses’ Night was designed to engender greater bonding among families and associates of NSE members in the State.
In his remarks, new chairman of the Awka branch of NSE Engr. (Dr.) Odinaka Victor Okonkwo extolled what he described as Governor Willie Obiano’s thoughtfulness in appointing more engineers into his government.
According to Okonkwo, apart from the several appointments given to engineers, Obiano also has a very cordial relationship with the Awka branch of the Society of Engineers, a reason the profession has been doing very well in Anambra under the Governor.
The Awka branch NSE boss said part of his work plan as the new chairman of the Awka branch of NSE was to beef up engineering project monitoring in Awka, the state capital as part of their social responsibility scheme in order to maintain standards.
Okonkwo assured that the branch would carry out capacity building programmes to boost the professional competence of member engineers to mitigate instances of quackery, noting that failed engineering projects were products of allowing non-engineers to perform the job of professionals.
He, however, thanked the Governor for providing a utility vehicle for the Awka branch of the Nigeria Society of Engineers, saying that engineers and the Governor have a good understanding.
He also disclosed that Awka NSE has acquired a piece of land at Nawfia Njikoka Local Government Area, where it plans to build an engineering centre.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker representing Orumba-South State constituency in the 7th legislature of Anambra State, Hon.(Engr.) Emmanuel Nwafor and some others received awards at the ceremony whose highpoint was the induction of new members into Awka branch of NSE.
