Don’t engage quacks in road constructions- Nigerian Society of Engineers urges AKSG
The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Akwa Ibom State Branch, has called on the Akwa Ibom State Government to engage only the services of registered engineers, in the construction of roads and other projects in the state.
Chairman of the Society, Engr. Uwem Akpan, FNSE, stated this in Uyo, during a chat with Journalists, as part of activities marking the 2023 Engineering Week in Uyo.
Akpan who regretted the resurgence of potholes, especially, in the state capital, urged the government to discourage quackery, by patronising only engineers certified by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), to end incessant failed projects and collapsed buildings.
Engr. Akpan expressed the Society’s readiness to partner with the administration of Pastor Umo Eno, to ensure that projects in the state were implemented in line with professional standards.
Akpan also made a case for indigenous contractors in Akwa Ibom State, stressing that projects done by indigenous engineers were of international standard and specifications.
He lauded the Akwa Ibom State Government for the construction of the 21 storey building, terminal building and the MRO at the Victor Attah International Airport, stressing that the projects will create more jobs and attract foreign currency to the state.
Engr. Uwem Akpan urged the current administration to take inventory of the uncompleted projects from the previous administration.
He expressed displeasure over the frequent posting of engineering graduates by National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to supermarkets and primary schools, describing such as an embarrassment to the engineering profession and disservice to graduates of engineering.
On the theme of the 2023 Engineering Week, “The Prospects of Indigenous Engineers in the ARISE Agenda”, the Chairman hinted it was necessitated by the need to foster a cordial relationship between the government and the Society, especially, for the benefit of engineering staff in state employ.
“The choice of the topic was necessitated by the fact that it assesses the previous government and its relationship with indigenous engineers and the engineering staff in government employ. We now look at the society and ask about the prospects of the indigenous engineers in the ARISE Agenda of Governor Umo Eno.”
“ARISE Agenda is all inclusive, as it will enhance the aviation sector which Akwa Ibom is positioning itself to be a major player. The ARISE Agenda will enhance the maritime sector, and Akwa Ibom is also positioning itself to be a major player. It will also enhance our infrastructural maintenance and advancement, hence, our coming together to brainstorm on the prospects of the indigenous engineers in the ARISE Agenda”, he said.
On Education, the Society appealed to the government to invest more in technical education by equipping the existing and building more Technical Schools in the state, to accommodate intending engineering students.
He appreciated the Minister for Works, Engr. Dave Umahi for ordering contractors to return to abandoned project sites in the state.