SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, HIS EXCELLENCY (DR.) ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI, CON, AT THE INAUGURATION OF ENGR. ADEKUNLE MOKUOLU, FNSE, AS THE 31ST PRESIDENT OF THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS (NSE), HELD AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE (ICC), ABUJA, ON JANUARY 13, 2018.
PROTOCOL.
1.It is my honour to be at this auspicious gathering, to witness and celebrate a new milestone in the career of a true icon and professional in his field, by way of the Inauguration of Engr. Adekunle Mokuolu, FNSE, as the 31st President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE). Indeed, the Nigerian Society of Engineers makes an invaluable contribution to the creation and implementation of policies guiding the development of rural and urban projects in Nigeria – as well as nurturing experts to safely sustain the sector into the future.
2.I congratulate the NSE on the successful conduct of elections that produced the new 13-member National Executive for which the esteemed Engr. Mokuolu now sits at the apex as the 31st President. The emergence of the new President could not have come at a better time. The downturn in the economic affairs of the country, having ramifications for almost all spheres and sectors, has been a major challenge and obstacle to delivering the stated objectives of government.
3.This has, at times, constituted an impediment to the productiveness, value-addition and sustenance in many sectors. Happily, the worst is over. Our recovering economy presents us with new opportunities to make maximum impact in our various spheres – opportunities we must grab with both hands – and I am confident that the NSE will play its part, with the very capable Engr. Mokuolu at the helm.
4.My abiding interest in rural and urban development projects has availed me of some of the problems and challenges faced in the sector. The average developer or investor wants to cut the total cost of development to an appreciable sum. The unscrupulous ones will seek to achieve this by either reducing the quality of materials and, or, by employing the services of less qualified practitioners for otherwise high level technical projects. Some will even seek to bypass regulatory agencies in a bid to scrimp on costs. What you get, as a result, are structures that fail to meet the standard national guidelines, and which cannot stand the test of time.
5.This poses a major risk to us all, and its eradication must form part of the purview of your agenda as you assume this mantle of leadership. I call on you and your esteemed organisation to help proffer cost effective solutions towards achieving the best global standards on projects, employing the least bureaucratic measures possible. The stamping out of sharp practices, and the cutting of red tape, should help along the way in meeting our infrastructural challenges. I assure you that the 8th National Assembly stands ready, as always, to support in achieving these goals.
6.The task ahead of you as the new President of this esteemed society, though challenging, is one that we are confident in your ability to rise up to. The lenses through which we view rural and urban developmental policies have to be redesigned for optimal delivery. Private sector involvement, recognition and empowerment must to be made more prominent and decisive. Adequate funding should be made available; and bureaucratic bottlenecks in development and infrastructural projects should be streamlined. We also look to you for continued and sustained collaboration with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) as well as the Advisory Board. These are all areas in which I believe we have a meeting of minds, with shared values that should help propel the sector forward as the economy gathers pace.
7.On our part in the National Assembly and in line with our agenda for the 8th Senate, we are always geared toward the development of laws and initiatives that favour human, capital and infrastructural development. We are for laws that take necessary steps to address national economic challenges, infrastructure decline and decay, wastages, leakages and bureaucracy. This is why plans are under way to examine and build on the recorded successes of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), even as we work to stimulate the same in the engineering and infrastructure sector, with a view to improving local participation.
8.Let me use this opportunity to once more congratulate the 31st President on this great achievement, and to also commend the Executive Committee and members of the National Society of Engineers (NSE) for putting up this grand event. I wish you a successful tenure.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
