Umbrella body of Nigerian engineers, the Nigeria Society of Engineers, (NSE) declared, Monday, that it is ‘convenient and satisfied’ with the appointment of Mr. Babatunde Fasola, as minister of Works, Housing and Power as well as Mr. Rotimi Amaechi as minister of Transportation.
Fasola served for eight years as Governor of Lagos state and Amaechi was two term Governor of Rivers before their inauguration as ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria last week by President Mohammadu Buhari.
Speaking in Akure, Ondo state capitalat a press conference to flag off the 2015 National Engineering annual conference of the NSE, its President, Engineer Isaacs Olufemi said the former governors ‘have demonstrated enough evidence that they can manage those ministries with their experience as two term governors.’
“I want to put it on record that NSE is satisfied with the appointment of Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, as the Hon,Minister of Works, Power and Housing. His Excellency, Mr.Babatunde Fashola has demonstrated complete understanding of the imperatives of infrastructure delivery, which he tackles creatively.
“As Governor, he re-engineered Lagos State by provision of transport infrastructure, power and urban renewal, amongst others. Little wonder NSE Council, a couple of years ago, approved the Conferment of the Honorary Fellowship of NSE on him. He will be decorated at the Opening Ceremony of our Conference, Tuesday, November 17, 2015.
“The same satisfaction applies to the appointment of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, CON, as Hon. Minister of Transport who initiated the Light Rail Project for Port Harcourt metropolis as Governor of Rivers State. NSE will give its full cooperation and support to the Ministers through the senior Engineers who work and supervise in the various sub-sectors and departments of the respective Ministries.
According to him, only the President has the prerogative of allocating portfolios to appointees saying ‘he has done well with those appointments.’
The society also commended President Buhari for considering other members of the society for appointment in his government.
“They include Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engr. Babachir David Lawal, Mnse; Engr. Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, FNSE as Hon. Minister of Science and Technology, as well as Engr. Suleiman Adamu, FNSE, Hon. Minister of Water Resources.”
The NSE President disowned those engineers linked with some of the collapsed buildings in the country saying they are quacks and not members of the NSE.
“99 percent of collapsed buildings are not handled by our members,” he declared.
The society is expected to confer honorary awards on some distinguished Nigerians during the week-long conference which attracts dignitaries from some neighbouring West African countries. Those to be honoured include President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, FNSE, as Grand Patron, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, CON, Governor of Ondo, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola; Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, CON, Founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti – Alhaji Aliko Dangote, GCON, President of Dangote Group, Chief Dr. Innocent Chukwuma, OFR, Chairman of Innoson Group of Companies will bag honorary fellowship award.
The conference with the theme “National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP) 2014: Strategies for Implementation,” will be declared open, Tuesday.
