The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Awka branch has called on the Federal Government to declare a State of Emergency on the ailing Ajeokuta Steel Complex.
Mr Edmond Nkalu, chairman of the branch made the call in Awka on Monday at the event marking the commencement of the 2018 engineering year of the branch.
Nkalu said the moribund state of the project was responsible for the slow pace of the country’s economic and infrastructure development.
He decried the huge amount of money lost in foreign exchange on importation of substitute materials.
“A visit to Ajaokuta will make you shudder for what is going on in this country; the massive investment that Nigerian government has invested in that project is turning to national waste.
“As a matter of urgency we are calling on the Federal government to declare a state of emergency for revival of that steel mill.
“If Ajaokuta is revived today, Nigeria will no longer depend on oil because we will be servicing the West African sub regional market and even the entire African continent.
“It will create millions of jobs, reduce tension and save our foreign exchange,” he said.
Nkalu called for engagement of more indigenous engineers in execution of engineering works in the country, lamenting that expatriates had been allowed to take over their jobs.
“Engineering professionals in this country have not been maximally utilised, we thank God on the presidential order of President Mohammadu Buhari which says that indigenous engineers should be given priority by MDAs.
“We need more involvement of Nigerian engineers in national development, the expatriate that flood this country are not more qualified than our indigenous engineers, what we lack is the opportunity prove it.
“We are worried that quacks are allowed to take over the job of professionals in the name of expatriates, this is part of the factors that is retarding the wheel of national progress”, he added.
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