…Says local engineers not adequately challenged

By Oscarline ONWUEMENYI

ABUJA – The President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr. Kashim Abdul Ali, has said local engineers hold the magic wand to resolving the country’s perennial power challenges, if given more roles to play by the government.

Ali who was speaking on Monday at a Fellowship Conferment Dinner organized by the society, in Abuja, insisted that local engineers hold better value for government in the on-going effort to revamp the nation’s ailing infrastructure.

According to him, “The Nigerian engineer has not been adequately challenged by government to fill the infrastructural gaps in our economy be it in the power sector, road and rail infrastructure.

“Today the nation is fighting to achieve generation of 6,000 megawatts of electricity by the end of December while other countries in Africa are already targeting 80,000 megawatts through expansion of sources of energy and power generation.”

He added that the only way government could solve the problem of power supply in the country is to progressively invest in multiple energy sources like coal, solar, and wind power which the country has in abundance.

Ali noted that recently, the government was to spend N1.3 billion to effect repairs on the unit generator at the Shiroro Power plant “but our own engineers working with the PHCN successfully repaired the unit for a paltry N50 million saving the government over N1billion.

The repair, he noted, led to the injection of about 150 megawatts of electricity into the national grid, adding that the feat demonstrated that local engineers could do better and at cheaper cost if given the opportunity.

He also criticized the appointment of non-engineers into “purely engineering” positions, noting that such a practice was detrimental to the development of the profession and the nation at large.
According to him, “We believe that such appointments are not in the best interest of government as such people are not in the position to give useful advice.

“For example, the person in charge of the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) is an accountant one wonders what professional advice government can get from such a round peg in a square hole.”

Ali added that “it is high time government jettisoned appointments to professional positions on any form of political exigency especially on critical areas of power supply, water supply and infrastructure development.

“This is the only way government policies and projects can succeed; the right people must always be in the right places as anything to the contrary will spell doom for our nation.”

The NSE President admonished the conferees to always demonstrate a high level of integrity and professionalism wherever they find themselves and in the conduct of their duties.

He said, “The fellowship status is the highest available grade of membership of the society and the conferment of that status is a frank indication that such a conferee has contributed immensely to the growth of the profession in their chosen vocation.

“It is an honour whose significance derives from the fact that one is being recognized by their own colleagues and even peers who are convinced that their contributions to the cause of engineering in the country is worthy of recognition.”