Engineers need innovation to tackle leadership challenges

A former Human Resources Director of
Nigerian Breweries Plc, John Mbonu,
has said that engineers can tackle
politicians and take charge of the
leadership of the country by being
innovative.
Mbonu stated this during a lecture
entitled: ‘Gas to power: Common sense
versus politics’ at the Nigerian
Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ end
of the year lecture and awards
ceremony.
He said that there was a need for
engineers to be awake to their duties in
order to point out to the government the
implication of making certain political
decisions.
According to him, the essence of the
lecture is to showcase the roles that
Nigerian engineers are supposed to play
as regards getting the right sources of
power in the country, but which they are
not doing.
Mbonu said, “Engineers need to make
known to the government the
importance of building power plants
close to their sources in order to save
cost, because it is expensive to run such
plants if they are not close to the
sources.
“Nigerian engineers should locate power
near the source of gas and hydro dams
near the source of water as well as
locating coal power plant near the
source of coal. But, unfortunately due to
politics, some power plants are placed
far away from the source of gas, which
has led to the building of expensive gas
pipelines.”
He also urged engineers to research
more and understand the language of
politicians in order to make them see
the need to invest more in natural
resources.
The Chairman, Nigerian Society of
Engineers, Ikeja Branch, Akintayo
Akintola, said until engineering was
given recognition, the country would still
be backward in everything.