The Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma has blamed frequent building collapse in the country on poor engineering quality.
He has therefore advocated that members of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) should be allowed to discharge their duties like other professionals.
In a statement, Oguwike Nwachuku, Media Adviser and Chief Press Secretary to the governor said
Governor Uzodimma spoke on Thursday when he received in audience the President and top executive members of the NSE in Nigeria who paid him a courtesy call at Government House Owerri.
The Governor said: “The innocent lives we lose every time there is building collapse could be avoided if the engineers were allowed to do their job as professionals.’’
He then challenged the Society to, from time to time, “intervene in the areas of your profession to save the Nation from those calamities.”
Governor Uzodimma who had earlier reminded the body that he is a Corporate member of the Society, reiterated his believe in the professional integrity of NSE and his conviction that “everything about life and society is engineering.”
Furthermore, he said that “for Nigeria to develop, the Nigeria Society of Engineers must be in the forefront and be fully involved.”
Governor Uzodimma regretted that over the years “different governments have not given enough attention to the engineers,” and that “quality construction will no doubt help the Nation to develop.”
He also called for partnership between the government and the NSE, “if not for anything, in monitoring and supervision.”
Earlier, the National President of NSE, Engineer Tasiu Sahid Wudil, said they were in Owerri for the 6th Engineer Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu lecture Series and acknowledged that on entering Imo State they saw that “the Governor is doing quality jobs especially on road constructions.”
Wudil poured encomia on the Governor’s achievements which he said are mostly people oriented projects such as roads infrastructure, ICT development, women and youth empowerment.
He noted that NSE is a non partisan body and requested the Governor to assist the society in realising her dream of having an engineering centre in Owerri just as they have in Lagos, Benin, Uyo and Kano for the purpose of training young engineers and providing them jobs opportunities.
The high powered delegation apart from the President include: Chief Engr. Iwuanyanwu, former Presidents of the Society, the Managing Director of Imo Sewerage and Water Corporation, Engr. Emeka Ugoanyanwu among others.
In audience to receive them with the Governor were the Deputy Governor, Prof. Placid Njoku, the Secretary to the State Government, Chief Cosmas Iwu, the Chief of Staff, Barr. Nnamdi Anyaehie, members of the State Expanded Executive and some Sole Administrators.