Ex-Head
Of State Commends Lagos Governor
Former
Head of State and a presidential candidate in the 2007 general election, General
Muhammadu Buhari, has commended Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state, for
transforming the country’s economic capital into a truly modern state.
General Buhari, in an address at the 42nd National Conference of the Nigerian
Society of Engineers, (NSE) in Owerri, said that Fashola had, in the last two
years, demonstrated qualities of orderliness, protection of the environment,
socio-economic and infrastructure development, good governance and respect for
the citizens’ rights.
Buhari said the honorary fellowship awarded to Fashola by the NSE was a
well-deserved recognition.
’’If any Nigerian deserves this honorary fellowship, it is Fashola, and I
heartily congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition. I also urge you to
remain resolute in the pursuit you have started,’’ he said.
He said that Fashola’s challenges were enormous but not insurmountable with best
intentions as he had demonstrated the zeal to leave a lasting legacy of robust
development that would endear him to Lagosians.
Commending the NSE for also honouring him, Buhari decried the lack of an
institutionalised system by the Nigerian state to encourage and recognise
engineering talents, expertise and innovation.
The President of the NSE, Mr Kashim Ali, explains the theme of the conference,
Engineering Strategies for Confronting Challenges of Global Economic Meltdown.
He said it was aimed at ensuring sustainability of investments in engineering
projects.
’’For a country like ours, where provision of critical infrastructure and
engineering works are at the core of improving lives for our people, we need to
ensure the sustainability of projects and continued investment in the provision
of infrastructure,’’ he said.
Ali, however, said that it was rather unfortunate that government had continued
to be the greatest culprit in the area of promoting quacks in the profession by
awarding engineering contracts to non-engineers.
NAN/Yinka
