Abuja: Mr Olofunsho Adebiyi, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Works, has called on engineers to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and excellence in the execution of road projects in Nigeria.
Adebiyi made the call at a three-day training for Highway Engineers, Technologists and Technicians from the North-Central region on Tuesday in Abuja.
The permanent secretary emphasised engineers’ critical role in delivering quality infrastructure that meets international standards.
He stressed the need for excellence and professionalism in discharging the ministry mandates.
Adebiyi highlighted the importance of capacity building and training for staff members to improve their skills and knowledge and deliver high-quality jobs.
“Excellence is not something one jumps at; you must work to achieve it.
“So, let us go back and look at the highway rudiments faithfully; let us ask questions where we don’t know how to get it right.
“Let us sit down and do what we are trained to do because if you successfully supervised a project and it is completed, there is a measure of pride, a sense of fulfilment you feel,” he said.
Adebiyi encouraged the engineers to uphold the ethics of their profession, build their knowledge and operate in tandem with international standards.
The permanent secretary advised engineers against stagnation and urged them to move around and build knowledge.
“There is a system error we have observed where an officer is recruited in Sokoto and has been there all his life.
“It is not correct. We want to make sure that we post staff members across the nation to have a comprehensive experience because the soil texture in Bayelsa is different from that in Sokoto,” he said.
Adebiyi explained that the ministry would start transferring staff across departments so that they could gain more knowledge and function optimally when they became senior officers.
He also disclosed that promotions would be based on a performance management system and called on ministry staff members to improve.
Earlier, Mr Yiltony David, the ministry’s Director of Highway Planning and Development, said that the training was timely.
He said that the training would stimulate quality work and high productivity from engineers in providing services to Nigerians.
“So we expect that from here, we will see engineers who are more committed to their jobs.
“People who see what they are doing as service to Nigeria, those who see it as an opportunity to add value to this country,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Femi Oyekanmi, who retired from the ministry, stressed the need for mentorship, adding that retirees should mentor those who are still in service.
Oyekanmi decried the ministry’s lack of professionals and called on the Federal Government to employ more people.
“The engineers in the ministry are overwhelmed; there is a need to recruit more engineers and technical assistants for the ministry,” he said.