ADVOCACY FOR CHARTER AND STRENGTHENING OF NSE GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERSHIP By Engr. Prof. Simon V. Irtwange,
Advocacy is an activity by an individual or group which aims to influence decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions. Advocacy can include many activities that a person or organization undertakes including media campaigns, public speaking, commissioning and publishing research or conducting exit poll or the filing of an amicus brief. Lobbying (often by lobby groups) is a form of advocacy.
Advocacy for engineering profession is a lobby, a media campaign aimed at influencing decisions by the members of the Nigerian society of Engineers
At the 49th Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Society of Engineers holding at the Tropicana Conference Centre Uyo, from 10am on Thursday November 24th, 2016; I, Engr. Prof. Simon V. Irtwange, FNSE shall be presenting three motions and I call for your support please:
A: A Motion for Amendment of Sections 33 (4), (6) & (7) of the Memorandum and Articles of Association (Revised December, 2008) for the Election of Deputy President, Vice Presidents and Executive Committee
AWARE that there is need to RAISE THE LEADERSHIP BAR to ensure that only top quality members of the Society contest for the positions of Deputy President, Vice Presidents and Executive Committee;
KNOWING that if the NSE is to play an active and prominent role in the unfolding future, the quality of leadership will be crucial and that as eligible candidates increase in number, selection criteria usually should become more stringent;
CONVINCED that the provisions of Sections 33 (4), (6) & (7) of the Memorandum and Articles of Association (Revised December, 2008) may not guarantee that only top quality members of the Society emerge as aspirants for the positions of Deputy President, Vice Presidents and Executive Committee;
CONCERNED that the current leadership recruitment (preparation and grooming) process has been highly politicised along non-professional lines and thus unable to throw up top quality leadership as envisaged by the founding fathers of the Society;
PERSUADED that there is need to enthrone selection criteria that will allow only top quality persons that possess the strength, governance exposure and econo-socio-political clout the opportunity to present themselves for SERVICE at the Deputy President, Vice Presidents and Executive Committee levels;
I, Engr. Prof. Simon Verlumun Irtwange (NSE No. 10665), Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers hereby move a motion for Amendment of Sections 33 (4), (6) & (7) of the Memorandum and Articles of Association (Revised December, 2008) for the Election of Deputy President, Vice Presidents and Executive Committee as follows:
RESOLUTION (1): That Article 33 (4) of the Memorandum and Articles of Association of NSE which states thus:
“The Deputy President shall be elected by secret ballot at the Annual General Meeting from among serving and past Vice Presidents who had served for at least 2 calendar years in the previous five years.” be deleted and a new Article 33(4) as set out below be substituted in its place; viz:
“The Deputy President shall be elected by secret ballot at the Annual General Meeting from among serving and past Vice Presidents, past Chairmen/past Presidents of NSE Divisions/Institutions, past Chairmen of Board of Fellows and Past Presidents of Engineering related bodies and associations (i.e. Association for Consulting Engineering in Nigeria ACEN, Academy of Engineering AE, Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria APBN, Federation of African Engineering Organisations FAEO) who must have served for at least 2 calendar years.”
RESOLUTION (2): That Article 33 (6) of the Memorandum and Articles of Association of NSE which states thus:
“The election of Vice Presidents and six other members of Executive Committee shall be by secret ballot at the Annual General Meeting from among Corporate Members who are Nigerians and whose subscriptions and other due are not in arrears. Candidates who are eligible for election as Vice Presidents must also have served on the Council for at least two years. In addition, a candidate for the office of the Vice President shall have served in a Branch or Division as a Chairman.” be deleted and a new Article 33(6) as set out below be substituted in its place; viz:
“The election of Vice Presidents and six other members of Executive Committee shall be by secret ballot at the Annual General Meeting from among Corporate Members who are Nigerians and whose subscriptions and other due are not in arrears. Candidates who are eligible for election as Vice Presidents should have been a Fellow of the Society for at least 4 years and must also have served in a Branch or Division as Chairman or in Council as an Executive Committee Member or as Chairman of Council Board or Committee for at least two years.”
RESOLUTION (3): That Article 33 (7) of the Memorandum and Articles of Association of NSE which states thus:
“Candidates for election to the Executive Committee shall have served as Chairman of a Council Committee or on the Executive Committee of a Branch or Division for at least 2 years or as a member of Council for at least 2 years.” be deleted and a new Article 33(7) as set out below be substituted in its place; viz:
“Candidates for election to the Executive Committee shall have been a Corporate Member for at least seven years, and shall have served on the Executive Committee of a Branch, or Division or Chairman of Council Board or Committee for at least three (3) years.”
Seconded by Engr. Ndidi Edeh, and 1 other
B: A Motion for Amendment of Section 32 (1) (b) of The Memorandum and Articles of Association (Revised December, 2008) of The Nigerian Society of Engineers for the Re-designation of Executive Secretary as Director-General
AWARE that there is need to strengthen the Secretariat of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and reduce the role of the President in the day-to-day running of the Secretariat;
CONVINCED that the activities of the Nigerian Society of Engineers are now engineering focused and not on support services only;
FURTHER AWARE that the NSE Secretariat structure has made provision for four (4) Directorates;
KNOWING that section 32 (1) (b) of the Memorandum and Articles of Association (Revised December, 2008) provides that “The day-to-day management of the Secretariat shall be under the charge of the Executive Secretary”; and
PERSUADED that the re-designation of the Executive Secretary as Director General will further make the Secretariat of our great Society to be more effective, efficient and in line with Global best practices;
I, Engr. Prof. Simon Verlumun Irtwange (NSE No. 10665), Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers hereby move a motion for the amendment of Section 32 (1) (b) of the Memorandum and Articles of Association (Revised December, 2008) which provides that: “The day-to-day management of the Secretariat shall be under the charge of the Executive Secretary” be deleted and a new Article 32 (1) (b) as set out below be substituted in its place; viz:
“The day-to-day management of the Secretariat shall be under the charge of the Director-General”.
The Memorandum and Articles of Association (Revised December, 2008) be amended by substituting the words “Executive Secretary” with the words “Director-General” wherever it appears.
Seconded by Engr. Israel Abraham
C. A Motion for Approval by the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of The Nigerian Society of Engineers to Pursue a Charter Status for the Engineering Profession in Nigeria
AWARE that there are contemporary issues bedevilling the growth of engineering profession in Nigeria which include non-inclusion of engineers in engineering matters/projects, capacity deficit, and poor image/low prestige of the Nigerian engineer;
CONCERNED that not much has changed since the first Communiqué of NSE Conference held from December 10 to 14, 1968 as Conference after Conference the very same issues are repeated and have remained insurmountable;
DISTURBED that the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, a baby of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, which was established on 5th December, 1970 to regulate and control the practice of engineering profession in all its aspects and ramifications is seriously challenged and unable to deliver despite several efforts at restructuring and repositioning;
WORRIED that the engineering professionals are fast losing trust and confidence in the ability of engineering bodies to pursue welfare and policy issues that will ensure jobs and give the young engineers a future;
BOTHERED about the weakness of a formidable framework for the Regulation and Control of Engineering practice under the present arrangement without which engineering and the economy in Nigeria can never be competitive;
KNOWING that if the Nigerian Society of Engineers had opted for a Charter status for the engineering profession in 1970, the funding burden by Government would have been averted and the situation where “he that pays the piper dictates the tune” would have been prevented as government will only be obligated to provide subventions;
CONVINCED that Charter for the Nigerian Society of Engineers and the Engineering Profession in Nigeria will fast track CHANGE along the lines of professional development/radically improved engineering education and training for the overall benefit of the country’s techno-economic development.
PERSUADED that the Board of Fellows/College of Fellows, assisted by the Legal Services Unit of NSE, have the capacity to draft a charter bill acceptable to the Nigerian engineers and seek sponsorship by a distinguished member of the National Assembly as a private member Bill;
I, Engr. Prof. Simon Verlumun Irtwange (NSE No. 10665), Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers hereby move a motion for approval by AGM to pursue Charter status for the engineering profession in Nigeria with the short title as follows:
The Nigerian Society of Engineers (Chartered) (Establishment) Bill, 2016.
A Bill for an Act to Provide for the Establishment of The Nigerian Society of Engineers (Chartered) to provide for among other things, the Regulation, Control, Enforcement and to Determine the Standard of Knowledge to be Attained by People Seeking to Become Registered and Chartered Engineering Personnel and for Connected Purposes.
Seconded by Engr. Israel Abraham
Engr. Prof. Simon V. Irtwange, , B.Tech (Akure), M.Eng (Nsukka), PhD (Ibadan), Cert. Seed Technology (India), Cert. Postharvest Biology & Technology (Israel), MBA, PGDE (BSU Makurdi) mniae, mnse, coren, masabe, mcsbe, mnim, mnifst, mtrcn, mbsn, fce, f.aes, fcai
Professor of Agricultural Processing and Storage, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, University of Agriculture,