By Francis Nansak, Lafia
Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has accepted to mentor students of welding, material science and metallurgy from across Nigerian universities, assuring them of placement in factories to be trained while undergoing their industrial attachment.
Engineer Sule made this known when he hosted the officials of the National Association of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering Students, at the Government House Lafia,on Thursday.
Though the Governor declined the association’s request to be its grand patron, he however demonstrated his willingness to reach out to his former general manager, who’s now retired but who has tremendous experience and capacity to mentor members of the NAMMES.
Engineer Sule who regretted that his schedule may not allow him give members of the NAMMES the required attention however assured them of his continuous support.
“I don’t have to be your grand patron to support you. I think it will be my responsibility. I don’t want to accept a big title and then at the end of the day, you call me and call me.
“His name is Engineer Bryan Ogunwale. He is one of the finest that I have known when it comes to area of maintenance, metallurgy, welding machine and the rest of that. He is fantastic. And he just retired. He worked for me as my general manager but I always saw him almost as a mentor to me. He believes in the youth, he will create the time, he doesn’t need your money. He is the one to travel everywhere to get internship for you,” he said.
Engineer Sule cited factories in Ikeja, sugar refineries and automobile assembly plants, as examples of companies that shutdown during Christmas and who could afford to provide training for members of the NAMMES while on industrial attachment.
He commended the officials of the NAMMES, particularly the national president, Miss Umah Roseline Ojochogwu, for her ingenuity in steering the affairs of the association.
He encouraged the students to see their profession as a thing of pride, stressing that the future holds great potentials for them. He pointed out that there is a growing demand for professional welders and fitters and as such, members of the NAMMES should see their profession as any other engineering discipline.
Earlier, in an opening remarks, National President of the National Association of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering Students, Miss Umah Roseline Ojochogwu, appreciated the Governor for finding time out of his tight schedule to receive them.
Miss Ojochogwu said the NAMMES under her leadership, is reaching out to successful professionals who will mentor and guide them, as according to her, the association is facing the challenge of lack of experts in the field that can provide training for students across the country.
“We have had so many challenges. First is mentorship. We have been less privileged to meet people in the field who are doing exploits, to train us or to give us hope and insights about what the future promises us,” she said.
She particularly lamented the daunting challenge faced by members of the association when it comes to IT placement, which is a mandatory requirement before they could graduate.