By Godwin Anene
The Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, on Thursday said the President Muhammadu Buhari proclaimed the Presidential Executive Order No. 5 as one of the many policies the present administration is leverage on to develop the various professional sectors in the country.
Onu stated that the Presidential Executive Order No. 5 underscores the measure of respect and value Buhari places on Nigerian professional especially engineers.
The minister spoke on Thursday in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, when he chaired the investiture of George Chukwulewa Okoroma as the 18th President of the Association for Consulting Engineering in Nigeria (ACEN).
While challenging the nation’s engineers to strive to surpass their peers across the world, Onu added that engineers are critical to the development of any society.
According to him, “The place of engineering in infrastructure development in any nation cannot be over-emphasised”, adding that it is the reason Buhari places Nigerian professionals, particularly engineers, at the very heart of nation building through the Executive Order No. 5, issued in 2018.
“The Order stipulates amongst other things, that procuring entities shall give preference to Nigerian companies and firms in the award of contracts, in line with the Public Procurement Act 2007.
“It is therefore an instrument engineers, indeed, all professionals in Nigeria should leverage on to take their rightful place in winning contract bids, thereby contributing not only to the development of engineering infrastructure in the country, but, also, building excellence in local capacity and economic empowerment.”
