By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has disclosed that his ministry is ready to partner with the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) in the supervision of all road projects across the country.
Umahi stated this in Abuja yesterday when the President of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Engr Tasiu Sa’ad Gidari Wudil, paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
The minister expressed his position on conditional use of asphalt or concrete technology to construct highways across the country.
He insisted that by all professional standards and experience asphalt pavement cannot be compared with that of concrete in terms of economic advantage.
According to separate statements signed by the Assistant Director of information, Media, and Public Relations in the ministry, Clement Ezeorah, and the Chief Press Secretary to the Minister
Barrister Orji Uchenna respectively,
he explained that there were many reasons why the issue of concrete technology came up which can only be understood by professionals, and not by people who do not know about it.
He explained that the stand of the ministry is that if you are using either of them, there are certain conditions according to the terrains in different states that will require our roads to be built with concrete and it must be used as pavement.
Umahi said the greatest challenge experienced in road construction is the problem of supervision caused by a lack of commitment, by not putting professional ethics over and above chasing money.
He, however, stressed that the ministry was committed to providing adequate supervision to all road constructions across the 36 states and the FCT.
On the proposed partnership with the NSE, the minister said: “We are going to partner with NSE in the supervision of all road projects and will also emphasis the need for retraining schools across states. Engineering is wide, if you are a professional engineer, you will not have a problem with professional ethics”.
Umahi maintained that the first job of NSE is to bring discipline among members by setting the standard for membership in the sense that if any action against the profession is committed, one can be disrobed noting that everyone cannot be an engineer.
