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Amid the challenges of quacks and non-compliance to job specifications confronting the built industry, engineers have been tasked to contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of the economy.
This they should do by maintaining strict adherence to the core values of professionalism in discharging their responsibilities to the society, which looks up to them.
General Manager, Energy and Projects, Lafarge Africa PLC, Mr. Lanre Opakunle and the Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Ganiyu Johnson, an engineer, gave the charge at a dinner and awards night themed: ‘Adequate, Reliable and Sustainable Energy in Nigeria’ organised by the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Ikeja Branch as part of activities marking the 2016 Engineering Week in Lagos.
Delivering a lecture on the topic: “Innovation and Ethics of Engineering Practice”, Opakunle pointed out that engineering profession creates value to the society; hence, practitioners must not fail the people, which would hold them responsible and accountable in their activities. According to him, adding values through ethical professional practice would create a lot of compensations as well as opportunities in growing the local terrains and the nation at large.
“I remember some years ago when we had the crisis of building collapse and in the true sense what was responsible for that, if we do a real cost analysis for each building that has collapsed, we will understand that a lot of the times we compromised; whether building, structural, electrical or chemical engineer. We have to make sure the right thing is done”, he said.
He said the current economic challenge should be a springboard for engineers to be creative and overcome the current limitations. “We must think of what we can do to move the nation forward and how we can add value to the economy. We must initiate actions to get things going.”
Speaking with The Guardian, Ganiyu Johnson, who was the Special Guest of Honour, said “it is important to involve engineers in revitalising the economy since they know how to do it best. He stressed that Fellows of the profession would continue to encourage the younger ones to improve on their ethics and innovation.
On the use of substandard products by some engineers, which often lead to cases of collapsed buildings, he stated: ” It is a collective responsibility; the builders, the designers and the contractors, they must comply with the design specifications, which is key, and if they do, there won’t be problem.”
He said government would continue to engage project managers and consultants as well as Fellows of Nigerian Society of Engineering for projects in the state, for them to learn and grow while external monitors would be hired to ensure that the right things are done.
Contributing, the Ikeja Branch Chairman, Adeolu Ogundare, urged engineers to continuously strive towards bringing value and improvement to bear in any system with integrity.“When we are offering services, we must do it according to professional ethics. As a society we have set the engineering regulation and monitoring unit to go out to sites and organisations and make sure that those practicing are the ones qualified to practice. “We also have put in place internal control mechanism which states that engineers must practice according to the dictate of the society and if they are found wanting, we have a way of dealing with that, which includes facing disciplinary committee of the society and withdrawal of the license of such an engineer” he said.
Earlier, the branch instituted a scholarship scheme for three secondary school students in the range of N25, 000, N50, 000 and N100, 000. The society also launched its maiden Engineering Magazine, and presented awards to Fellows of the society who excelled in quiz competition as well as to individuals and corporate organisations.
—Guardian
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