Engineers in the state have been charged to stand up to the demands of their profession to put an end to incessant building collapse across the state.
The Anambra state Commissioner for Environment, Engineer Felix Odimegwu gave the charge in Awka, during the closing ceremony cum induction of students to mark the 2023 Civil Engineering Week organised by the Nigeria Institute of Civil Engineers, NICE, Awka Chapter.
NICE is a division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE.
The theme for the 2023 Civil Engineering Week is “Adopting concrete and Asphalt Technology in rural roads: the issues.
Addressing the gathering who are members of NSE, Civil Engineers, COREN and Engineering students, Engineer Odimegwu said it is high time Engineers are included in the scheme of things in the society especially as it concerns building.
Engineer Odimegwu regretted that Anambra is battling with over one thousand five hundred active erosion sites presently, with one hundred and fifty out of one hundred and seventy-nine communities of the state having more than one erosion case each.
He called on Engineers to own their profession rather than allowing quacks put the lives of their loved ones in jeopardy in their quest to make money.
On his part, the National resident of NICE, Engineer Virginus Ezugu, outlined various developments recorded by the organization under his watch and regretted that many are answering Engineers but are not alive to their profession but rather prefer to go in search of money by engaging in other businesses.
He advised the older members to engage in networking on how to better their profession while the younger ones do the job.
In a lecture on the theme of the event, the Head, Civil Engineering Department, UNIZIK, Professor C A Ezeagu while comparing concrete to asphalt technology, opined that by now, Engineers should have generated ideas on how to solve the issue of rigid concrete and asphalt, even as he said that going forward, the nation’s highway system will require to accommodate increasing number of vehicles while construction to ensure its durability in decades to come.
In an induction paper presentation, Engineer Mudasiru Bola, Principal partner, Prolarank Nigeria Limited, urged students to focus on the aspect of Engineering that they will measure on, and also to tailor their minds on the particular aspect that will fetch them money after graduation so as to be perfect in that direction.
The Chairman of NICE, Awka Chapter, Engineer Alex Ifeagwazi said that Awka chapter of the association oversees that of Nnewi, Onitsha and others in Anambra, noting that during the week-long activities for the Civil Engineering week, through courtesy visits, workshops, seminars, they were able to get assurance of partnership going forward with ministries in charge of building in the state for a better output.
The state chairman of COREN Engineer Victor Meju said that it is no longer business as usual as COREN has been empowered by the Governor Chukwuma Soludo administration to fish out quacks who have been giving the state half-baked roads over time, and said that COREN has an understanding with the NYSC in the state to be posting Engineering corps members to construction companies in the state to put to practice what they were taught in school and at the same time earn a living for themselves.
The event climaxed with induction of students into NICE, Anambra state chapter.
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