Abuja – Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Highway Engineers, Mr Isa Emuabino , has urged Nigerians to accept President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial appointments and give them time before assessing their performances.
Emuabino made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday, in reaction to the composition the Federal Executive Council inaugurated by the president on Wednesday.
He urged Power, Works and Housing Minister, Mr Babatunde Fashola, to utilise engineers in the sector for positive results.
“The president knows why he has done what he has done; if we begin to dictate to the president and he ends up failing, he will say that people caused him to fail.
“We should give him some time, say, between one and two years, to assess whether he made the right or wrong choice.
“As governor of a state like Lagos, Fashola must have been involved in managing works, housing and power related matters.
“But, having been given this huge task, he must buckle up and be prepared to use the correct professionals to get his mandate delivered,’’ he said.
‘’Power is the driver of industrialization and the key to making life meaningful to Nigerians; it should have been separate and should have been handled by a professional,’’ Emuabino added.
Mr Kashim Ali, President, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), urged the Federal Government to always appoint qualified engineers to engineering-related portfolios.
He said that he could not understand the assignment of engineering-based portfolio of works, housing and power to Fashola, a lawyer, in spite of the presence of professional engineers in the cabinet.
“We are not very pleased; for instance, what we wanted was a ministry of transportation comprising works, aviation and transport.
“That would have taken care of all modes of transportation.
“Now, you take aviation and maritime somewhere and you have left highways somewhere and merged it with power. That structure is a bit difficult to understand.
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“I am personally confused because it is not exactly what we expected. We wish it was not the way it is now,’’ he said.
Also speaking, the National Secretary, Labour Party, Mr Kayode Ajulo, argued that having performed well as governor of Lagos, Fashola was good enough for the Ministry of Works, Housing and Power.
“If you read the highlight of his performance in the construction of the power plant in Lagos, it is safe to say that he has the formula to fix power provision.
“Also, in the area of works, roads and housing and infrastructure in Lagos, Fashola did his best. So, it is more like the president looked for an experienced person who has been tested to deliver.
“It is about the management of human, material and financial resources; Fashola has shown that he can manage human capital and other resources.
“In the area of the technical know-how, he is expected to have a personal assistant, permanent secretary and directors who are professional engineers, to work with him,’’ he explained.
NAN reports that Fashola is one of the five former state governors inaugurated as members of the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday.
The others are Dr Chris Ngige, Dr Ogbonaya Onu, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Rotimi Amechi. (NAN)
Minister: Engineers commend Buhari‘s cabinet
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