In order to curb the danger from malpractices in the engineering profession, such as building collapse and fatal accidents due to poorly constructed motorways, engineers in Nigeria have been urged to comprehensively get themselves involved in the agenda to reposition the profession to attain its rightful place.
Building collapse has become a reoccurring phenomenon, claiming several lives and goods worth billions of naira annually. Also, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates show that over 1.3 million people are killed annually in road accidents in Nigeria while over 50 million people sustain different degrees of injuries from such crashes.
Chris Okoye, chairman, board of fellows as well as college fellows of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), speaking in Abuja last week at the society’s special dinner organised to confer fellowship on 20 engineers, said the need for the society to arrest the situation was urgent.
“The board of fellows has, therefore considered it necessary to use the conferment of fellowship event as a forum to highlight the aspects of our profession that require serious rethinking and to use the platform as a tool to provide sustainable solutions to such anomalies,” he said.
He used the occasion to call on the government and the general public to accord the engineering profession the same level of honour it has reposed in other careers like medicine, law and accountancy pointing out that, that was the only way professionals from engineering extraction would be given a pride of place in the scheme of affairs of the nation.
“It has been said time without number that our profession needs to attain a charter status. Most members share this view. There are legal requirements for the attainment of this status. The implication is that we have to work closely with National Assembly members to craft the appropriate bill and ensure its timely passage. We must roll up our sleeves and get straight to work,” he said.
According to Okoye, the efforts to reposition the practice of engineering in the country entails a measure of introspection anchored on core values like honesty, trust, integrity and the public good.
In his speech, Otis Anyaeji, the president of NSE, said the occasion had provided a platform for the newly inducted engineers, whom he said are joining the league of elite professionals to deliver high quality services to the development of the nation.
“The conferment of fellowship must not be seen as an end in itself but an opportunity to be of greater service to the Nigerian society of engineers; supporting it’s projects and programmes and lending your voices and muscles to its quests to change the face of engineering practice,” he advised.
