Many of our members have commented to my hearing in the past seven years or or so that the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE is more of a politicised social association than a professional body and that it must retrace its steps to be relevant professionally .!
If we ask ourselves the following questions and answer honestly, the conclusion will be obvious.!
When last did our Society make awards for excellence, to students , for design , construction or production in general ?
What framework do we have for doing it ?!When last did our Society sponsor research on local problems of engineering interest or the collection and organisation of data from such research ?!
What processes and programmes have we established for mentoring young and new entrants into our profession and keeping members abreast of new developments?!
When last did we publish journals, technical or general interest , regularly ?!The questions could go on and on .
If the answer to the ones above is an embarrassed silence , then we have gone astray , proliferation of branches and elaboration of ceremonies and media coverage notwithstanding .!
I think we can agree on the following.!
a. NSE is the meeting point of engineering disciplines which had been formalized long before it was established . Without the disciplines there would be no NSE . The disciplines are the profession.!
b. The Engineer is defined by his/her discipline not by location , and his/her economic value to self , community, state or nation is determined by competence and expertise , enhanced through interaction within disciplines, not by location. !
c. If the NSE be considered as a Federation, the disciplines are the federating units. !
At the EGM tomorrow, resoiutions to make location the criterion for constituting the Executive will come up . They should be critically debated and a direction set for the Society .!
2. DO WE WANT AN “ IMPERIAL “ PRESIDENT ?!
Our current Constitution ( the MEMART ) reflects our cultural tradition of collective decision making and vests authority in the Council . In recent years there has developed a growing tendency for our Presidents to assume dictatorial powers . At the workshop on the MEMART Review a day before Council meeting in
November 2018, a direct question was put: “Do we want an Executive President ? “ The very clear answer was “ NO “!
2.!ExCo members are elected as intelligent, mature engineers to enhance good decision-making and implementation through contributions to discussion . There have been complaints of Presidents not permitting discussion but simply handing down decisions for “information “ at ExCo meetings . !
Council determines its schedule of meetings , in exercise of its authority to regulate its proceedings, provides direction to Boards and Committees , which it appoints ,through terms of reference and presents Report and Accounts to the AGM . The Report details the activities of the Society during the year.!Resolution 17 proposes that these functions of Council be defined as “duties” of the President . The proposals should be rejected. !
3. INAPPROPRIATE PROVISIONS !Some new provisions would be more appropriate in a Regulations document, such as “Standing Orders” which can be readily modified , as they are administrative or procedural and the basis may change or has changed .!
Engr. F. A. Shonubi FNSE 26th June. 2019!
Shonubi a former President of Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE