Akwa Ibom State government said local engineers and craftsmen must be given the enabling environment to creditably perform their professional duties
Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr Enobong Uwah, stated this at a town-hall meeting organised by the Public Complaints Commission, PCC, in Uyo on Tuesday.
The meeting had as theme: “Systematic and Proactive Investigation into Discrimination of Local Engineers and Craftsmen by Foreign Construction Companies”
Represented by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Political Matters, Mr Idoreinyin Orok, Uwah said the meeting provided an opportunity for stakeholders to brainstorm on the matter.
He said the state government had taken critical steps towards promoting local content and creating the environment for local professionals to participate in construction works.
Uwah urged the participants to utilise the opportunity provided by the meeting to identify the cause of the discrimination.
“This event is timely, it will provide avenue to identify the root causes of the challenges, and to find practical and enforceable solutions.
“We need to create an enabling environment where local professionals can thrive by contributing their skills and ingenuity to the development of the state,” he said.
Uwah said the Akwa Ibom Government, would collaborate with the PCC and other relevant bodies to ensure that the rights of local engineers and craftsmen were protected.
“As a state, we are committed to upholding the principles of local content in every sector, particularly in construction and engineering.
“Our motive is to ensure that our talents are not only recognised but prioritised,” Uwah said.
Mr Emem Ezekiel, Chairman, Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, Uyo Branch, described the discrimination against local engineers and craftsmen as unfair.
He said it was grossly unfair not to recognise and appreciate the skills and expertise of Nigerian engineers and craftsmen.
Ezekiel expressed worries that different levels of government in the country did not consider local firms worthy of being awarded contracts.
The NSE chairman, said that the challenges faced by local engineers and craftsmen were not mere professional imperatives but a moral and economic necessity.
Ezekiel said that the contributions of local professionals to the development of Akwa Ibom and Nigeria as a whole could be over-emphasised.
He said that local engineers and craftsmen had proven their mettle over time by delivering projects that rivaled those handled by foreign contractors.
Earlier, Mr Ubong Uwah, PCC Federal Commissioner, said the town-hall meeting was to assemble stakeholders to discuss the issue critically with a view to finding solutions.
“We are here to explore ways of ensuring equal participation of local engineers and craftsmen in contract implementation in Akwa Ibom.
“Participants are to discuss the challenges faced by local engineers and craftsmen that affect their participation in contract implementation.
“Let’s use the meeting to seek solutions by identifying strategies to promote equal opportunities for them.
“We should also outline ways of establishing partnerships by fostering collaborations between local engineers, craftsmen, contractors, and government agencies”, he said. NAN
