Why government must patronise local engineers —Falade-Fatila

Mr Adedamola Falade-Fatila, is the immediate past Chairman, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Ibadan branch. He was recently conferred with the Fellowship of the NSE. He tells NURUDEEN AlIMI, what the new status means to him, his views on the state of engineering practice in Nigeria and also shares some of his success stories during his tenure as the chairman of NSE, Ibadan branch:

HOW does it feel becoming a Fellow of a prestigious professional body such as the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE)?

Well, I feel honoured and fulfilled being conferred with the Fellowship of the Nigerian Society of Engineers for obvious reasons: one, it is a recognition of the various modest contributions to the development and practice of the profession. On another hand, it is a mark of attainment of the peak of your professional career, so it is a development that is quite heartwarming, refreshing and fulfilling.

Do you see the conferment as just an honour or a challenge probably to do more?

Of course, both ways. It is not ‘just an honour’, it is indeed a honour as well as it is a challenge. Like someone said, ‘the reward for hardwork is more work’. So, by being admitted into the College of Fellows of such a society, it is definitely a call for more service, more dedication, more patriotism, more commitment to the practice and development, and of course, training of more engineers. So, it is equally a great honour as much as it is a challenge.

You are the immediate past Chairman of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Ibadan branch. What can you say of the footprints you left behind?

We thank God, as they say, all is well that ends well. As a matter of fact, it has not ended, we are still at it, the struggle continues. I am very glad and very grateful to the almighty God, having come this far. I served the Nigerian Society of Engineers at my branch level for about 10 years and this climaxed in my becoming the Chairman of the branch- the Premier branch in Nigeria. It is something to be very grateful to God for, to my colleagues, my seniors and to my mentors in the profession. Of course, the indelible footprints my administration left in the annals of the Nigerian Society of Engineers in Ibadan, and in Oyo State is something to beat. I can count quite a few achievements but for fear of being immodest. However, I can quickly tell you one or two things in confirmation of what God helped me to achieve during our tenure at the helm of affairs.

There is this yearly competition that happens among all branches of the Nigerian Society of Engineers in the country. It is called Group Dynamics competition. Last year, over 70 branches of the NSE all over the country went into that contest. To the glory of God, during my tenure as chairman, Ibadan branch came second  position in the country. It was a feat that Ibadan branch has not quite witnessed in the last fifty years or so. That is a clear testament to the input we had into the administration of the branch and into the practice and development of engineering.

Again, it was during my tenure as the chairman of Ibadan branch that the society produced a governor and a deputy governor. It has never happened in the history of Oyo State and as a matter of fcat, in the history of Nigeria for you to have an Engineer as a Governor and Deputy Governor in a state. And again, in recognition of the contributions of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and what we stand for in Ibadan branch, the Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde FNSE appoiinted me as the chairman of the Oyo State Committee on the Review of Contracts and Projects, even as sitting chairman. These are a few of the marks that you cannot just sweep under the carpet in the history of the NSE Ibadan.

What can you say about the state of engineering practice in Nigeria as of today? Can you really say the country is moving forward?

The question is an interesting one and the answer would be in relative terms. If I must answer in straight terms I would say yes the engineering is profession is moving forward in Nigeria but the question is that what speed? Is it at a desirable speed? Is it at a commesurable pace? The answer to that is NO!. It is one thing for engineering to be moving forward one way or the other, it is another thing for the nation to be witnessing a desired or a commesurate technological development. That is not happening and this makes one quite sad. One of my key issues with the current political class is the fact that they are not patronising Nigerian engineers as much as they should. And definitely, if our own would not patronise us, or do not believe in us what do we expect of foreigners? Nigerian engineers are quite hardworking and promising, we are trying our bit in sipte of all odds. Despite the lack of patronage, despite the policy somersault, among the number of unfavourable conditions, we are still doing our best to forge ahead. One may then imagine how better we would have been doing if we had all the necessary support and patronage from the government at all levels.

Are you actually saying the government is not doing enough in terms of support for indigenous engineers?

Of course the government is not doing enough. Everyone knows that government is not doing enough. The other day that the Abuja-Kaduna train broke down in the middle of the way, the following day the Minister of Transportaion apologised to Nigerians and made a very interesting comment that they had sent for the Chinese and they are coming to look at it. My heart broke, and I wondered for how long we are going to do that? It shows you what we are putting ourselves into as a country, for all these rail lines being developed across the country. We are obviously at the mercy of the Chinese! If anything happens, anytime, we would have to wait for the Chinese to come and get us out of troubles. It is unfortunate, things are not done this way in those climes where we claim we are emulating- the US, UK, Germany or even in China. Would they solely depend on Nigerian engineers abroad to do some things for them? We are the only ones who can develop our own and that is the truth and that is the way to technological advancement and development for any nation.

On a final note, can you say, in clear terms that Nigerian engineers can do without the input of their foreign counterparts?

Of course, what can’t we do? Which foreign counterparts went to develop China? Which foreign counterparts went to develop Singapore? Of course we can. Some countries had a policy at some point in their nationhood that ‘whatever we cannot produce here, that means we do not need it’. And heavens did not fall! They went ahead, they survived and they emerged. That’s what we shy away from in this country, leave the technology to the easterners alone, and in another 10 years we would be better than we were 10 years before. That is how nations develop. They say neccesity is the mother of invention. For how long would we keep running to China, running to World Bank for loans with such terrible and unfavorable terms? If you were privy to some of the clauses in these loan terms, you would weep for the future of this country.

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