Govt must fully engage engineering firms for CSR to thrive – Akindayomi

The President, Association for Consulting Engineering ,Engineer Challenge AKindayomi has said that government must fully engage indigenous consulting engineering firms in all building and an infrastructure development for corporate social responsibility, CSR, to thrive in Nigeria.

Akindayomi, who made this known recently in Lagos, while delivering a speech on the occasion of inaugural investiture of the 17th president of the association for the consulting engineering in Nigeria (ACEN) said that one of the areas of challenge for local engineers is the fact that, Nigerian government still depended on foreign engineering firms for building and infrastructure development due to what some people described as foreign -funded loan packages.

According to him, “how would one expect the firms to perform very well in the area of corporate social responsibility when they are not well patronised by the government itself?

“He however, call on the government to give Nigeria consulting engineering firms their due place either alone or in collaboration with foreign consultants in the building environment and infrastructure sectors.

He stated that; “another area of concern is that some of our private sector clients insist on using the outdated Federal Government Scale of Fees, which was issued in 1996 ,rather the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) recommended hourly rates issued in 2015 , which are charges for various cadres of engineering personnel for consultancy services”.

“The Federal Government some times in this month issued an Executive Order outlining a procedure for planning and execution of projects, promotion of Nigerian content in contracts and science, engineering and technology.

“This is a bold and laudable efforts of government to address the anomaly whereby Nigerian professionals are less favoured in the award of contracts to the advantage of foreign consultants and contractors.” He noted.

This order, he continued, is yet to be tested, and if properly implemented, it will eliminate one of our major grouse with the government in the award of contracts.

He added that the ministries, departments and agencies will still oversee compliance with the requirements of this executive order.

He said what is loosely defined is the authority responsible for monitoring and ensuring implementation.

However, he said the document stated that violations for non-compliance with the executive order will be dealt with as stipulated by the public service rules and laws governing public procurement.

He said, “ACEN will be an adviser and collaborator to our government in the areas of government projects procurement. We shall partner with ministries, departments and agencies to get our input during selection of consulting engineering for government project procurement”.

Stories by Godwin Anyebe