Ejikeme Uwa, Umuahia
To achieve the best engineering practices, an acclaimed investor and employer of skilled and unskilled labour in Abia State, Prof. Gregory Ibe has called for a finishing school for engineers as obtainable in other professional bodies.
Speaking when the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) Umuahia branch paid a courtesy visit to him at Uturu, today, Prof. Ibe who is also the founder and Chancellor of Gregory University Uturu (GUU) maintained that the school will help perfect the jobs, skills and other critical elements, as it affects the engineering profession.
He decried that the engineers have lost lots of opportunities to artisans as a result of lack of entry behaviour as most engineers are not practically oriented.
Prof. Ibe who is also a governorship aspirant under the platform of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA assured the engineers a befitting NSE Secretariat, if duly elected as the governor of Abia State.
Earlier in his address, the Chairman NSE Umuahia branch, Engr. Nnamdi Nwasuka represented by the NSE National Interviewer and Chief Examiner, Engr. Victor Ihediwa stated that the body came to felicitate with Prof. Ibe and Gregory University, Uturu for the enviable strides and contributions recorded in providing quality education especially in engineering education and development.
He lauded Prof. Ibe for his private sector spirit that has shaped and still shaping Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education in Nigeria through his involvement in the supply of the State-of-the-art teaching and learning equipment with innovative pedagogy in the delivery of the subjects.
The Chairman who described Prof. Ibe as “Engineering centric, Engineering friendly and Engineering experienced following his affinity with the profession, maintained that Nigeria will be well placed when engineering practice is gotten right with the government and society’s involvement with full understanding.
He therefore solicited for partnership between NSE and GUU to proffer solution to the present problems bedevilling the nation.
While expressing their readiness to partner with NSE, the Dean, College of Engineering GUU, Engr. Prof. Soki Okoli reiterated that Engineers remained solution providers, as they are properly equipped to propel socioeconomic development of any region, if adequately carried along.