The Nigerian
Society of Engineers
“RAILWAY TECHNOLOGY BEYOND
THE EXPERTISE OF MOST NIGERIAN ENGINEERS” BY RT. HON. CHIBUIKE R. AMAECHI, HON.
MINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION (HMT)
REJOINDER
2. In the midst of more than 200
professional engineers of diverse disciplines, international delegates,
consultants and contractors with members of the press in attendance; the Hon.
Minister criticized the quality of the engineers in the country and described
the railway technology as “complex
engineering”. He continued “I am ashamed
that white men still supervise us during road construction”. He concluded “those who drive trains are Nigerians-that’s easy-but what happens is
that when the train stops, the Chinese men jump down to check the locomotive”.
3. ACEN President, who also doubles as the
Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu, FNSE who attended the
meeting, reacting noted that “there is really not much anything about
railway; but combination of civil, electrical and mechanical engineering. There
are very many qualified Nigerian that have the basic qualifications and
engineering is about continuous professional development”.
4. Nigerian engineering firms and engineers are
not given adequate exposure, let alone steady workload to perform and keep
improving their skills.
5. We return to the subject matter,
credited to the Hon. Minister of Transportation, NSE wonders with disgust how
an Honourable Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria manning such a strategic
Ministry would turn around to castigate the professionals in his country. These
same engineers have made their mark locally and internationally, and to the
extent they are allowed and supported, have been keeping the sectors under the
Ministry of Transportation running.
6. Again on Wednesday, August 9, 2017, The
Guardian reported the Hon. Minister as defending the exclusion of indigenous
firms in the construction of the over $20billion rail tracks across the country,
on the basis that China is financing the projects through the China Civil
Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC). Rt. Hon. Amaechi asserted wrongly
that on the basis of financing, the contractors have 100% execution right of
most of the rail projects.
7. As early as the 1960s, Nigerian
engineering firms and even public service engineers were building railway
extensions in Nigeria. The records are there in the Ministry of Transportation
and also the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) that the Gombe – Ashaka Railway
Extension was constructed by Nigerian Engineering & Manufacturing Company
Limited (NEMCO). NEMCO was a Nigerian company established by Engr. Prof. Nwankwo
Chukwuemeka, FNSE. The Kuru – Maiduguri railway extension was constructed by
Nigerian engineers, technologists, technicians and craftsmen of the NRC.
8. After the Federal Government of Nigeria
entered into MOUs with the Chinese in 2016 for the development of railways and
other transportation projects, the Nigerian Society of Engineers advised
Minister Amaechi that most of the materials, fixtures, fittings, machinery and
equipment needed for the implementation of the projects can and should be
produced in Nigeria. The Society did advise that rails which account for about
75% of the cost of a railway project should be produced at the Medium Section
& Structural Mill (MSSM) of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex. Rt. Hon. Amaechi
gave four appointments to the Society for discussion of this proposal. He
failed on the four occasions to make himself available. It became clear to us
that his heart was in China and with the Chinese, preferring continued
investment into the Chinese economy at the expense of the development of the
Nigerian economy.
9. It must be stated clearly that the advice
NSE gave to Rt. Hon. Amaechi stemmed from the directive from President
Muhammadu Buhari GCFR to the minister to discuss with NSE to determine the
areas Nigerian engineering firms will be involved in the projects to be
implemented with the Chinese loans. Mr. President gave this directive over a
year ago, but the Hon. Ministers of Transportation (HMT), Industry, Trade &
Investment (HMITI), and Power, Works and Housing (HMPWH) are yet to comply.
10. Already, we have infrastructural deficit
in the country and to reverse the trend finance and expertise are needed.
Comments of this type made in and outside the country are misleading and disingenuous.
NSE strongly condemns these vitriolic remarks poured on Nigerian engineers by
HMT, and previously by his colleague in Power, Works and Housing.
11. What the Hon. Minister may also not
realize is that the consulting and contracting engineering services are
polluted with non-professionals. In line with the comments of the Hon. Minister
of Water Resources, there should be political will to give Nigerian engineering
firms opportunity to train the young engineers and ensure continuous
professional development. The course content of engineering training is the
same done outside the country, but difference is in exposure. It is gratifying
to note that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on 2nd August 2017 adopted
a policy of awarding development projects to Nigerian engineering firms who
could bring in foreign partners if needed.
12. In these days of lean resources, it will
be foolhardy to continue depleting our foreign exchange by importing expertise,
machinery and equipment instead of emphasizing on home grown technology. Most
developing nations virtually shut their doors against importation of experts
but create jobs for the youth, unemployed graduates and promote the security of
their land. When will Nigeria commence evolving a strategic framework for the
take-off of the Nigerian Content Development Initiative? Loans are to be repaid
by Nigeria, and so the Chinese lenders do not have “100% execution right of
most of the rail projects.”
13. This is not the time for us to proceed
with myopic subjective views but to look at the bigger picture and deepen the
maturity of technology by our professional firms and professionals. It is sad
for Nigeria and for the engineering profession that the Hon. Minister of
Transportation. Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi should make such remarks on Nigerian
engineers. We therefore call for caution, since what is obvious is that railway
technology is beyond the grasp of a Liberal Arts graduate that finds himself
superintending over engineering based MDAs.
14. The Nigerian Society of Engineers is the
corner stone for Nigeria’s development agenda at all levels of governance from
policy formulation to project delivery. Despite rejection by government and limitation
of finance, Nigerian engineers have continued to put in their best in the
circumstance. Perhaps, the Hon. Minister is out of touch with the reality and functioning
of Nigerian engineering firms and Engineers.
Signed:
Engr. Otis Oliver Tabugbo Anyaeji,
FNSE, FAEng
President
of the Nigerian Society of Engineers
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