The Nation Newspaper

Tag: recognition

  • ICAN to gain world recognition

    The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) will soon be globally recognised, said its president, Mr Adedoyin Owolabi.

    Owolabi spoke yesterday in Lagos during a visit to Aba Ogunsola and Associates (AO and A), an accounting firm.

    The ICAN National President said the institute’s certificates automatically qualify members to become members of international accounting bodies.

    He said ICAN was working on getting the highest accounting body in the world to recognise the institute and its products.

    Owolabi’s team was received by the Managing Partner of AO and A, Mr Segun Ogunsola, who said the tutoring of trainees and newly employed is key to sustaining continuity in the industry.

    He said: “Training will enhance their capability as that is the only way to sustain ICAN. The equipping of the newly employed will strengthen the linkage between those in practice and the coming generation.”

    Owolabi urged its members to keep being abreast of the industry. He urged job seekers to upload their resumes on ICAN’s employment bureau website for recommendation and placement.

  • Welcome recognition

    Welcome recognition

    • Reserving N5bn contracts for local contractors is a good start, but …

    Recognition for home-grown technological wherewithal that has over time become routine in better organised climes seems to have caught the attention of the Federal Government at last. Thus, from 2013, all engineering and construction projects below N5billion in the Federal Ministry of Works will be exclusively reserved for Nigerian contractors with the requisite competence.

    The cursor to this effect came from Mike Onolememen, Minister of Works, in a keynote Address at the 2012 National Engineering Conference “Harmony 2012” of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) held in Ilorin, Kwara State. The theme of the annual event was: “Infrastructure Development and Maintenance in a Technology-Driven Environment.”

    He charged that the belated decision is “a deliberate effort by the Federal Government to help build local capacity and promote local content” in the engineering sector. As a complimentary aspect of this initiative, it has now become compulsory for contractors handling major projects in the Federal Ministry of Works to ensure that qualified Nigerian engineering personnel are considered and employed for such jobs before nationals from other countries.

    The Transformation Agenda of the current administration would only be meaningful if the desired support is got from the engineering profession that holds the key to technological knowledge. Like what obtains in other engineering conscious climes, the engineering profession must be encouraged to become more innovative, thereby helping in the process of driving the economy for global relevance and reverence.

    Perhaps, it is not enough for the government to challenge the conference to merely come up with that home-grown technology and workable strategies that would act as catalyst for sustainable maintenance of vital national infrastructure necessary to guarantee the nation’s economic growth. What is more important here is for the policy to be strictly adhered to.

    Once the government is able to play its own part very well, the onus would be on the local engineers not to betray the trust reposed in them. They cannot afford to fail the nation by allowing this long sought opportunity for them to prove their mettle slip by. The Nigerian engineers/contractors must be ready to use their skills to move the country’s economy from consumer-driven to a production-driven economy. It is only then that calls for them to fully take over from foreign engineering firms can be justified.

    This commendable policy is another form of indigenisation but the limit it places on the value of contracts that could be awarded Nigerian firms is contemptuous. Does it mean that any contract that is beyond N5billion cannot be handled by Nigerians? Does it mean that in 52 years of independence and despite admirable forays of Nigerian engineers in the Diaspora, there is no indigenous company with Nigerian engineers to handle projects of N5billion and above? What are the disincentives in the nation’s system that are discouraging brilliant indigenous engineers or undermining indigenous firms but conducive to foreign engineers and firms?

    We hope that the policy initiative would not be restricted to the Federal Ministry of Works but be extended to engineering portfolios of other ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). The government must equally ensure that impediments to the realisation of such laudable policies are removed without delay.

     

  • 2012 FEDERATION CUP VICTORY: Heartland want govt’s recognition

    2012 FEDERATION CUP VICTORY: Heartland want govt’s recognition

    2012 Federation Cup winners, Heartland of Owerri have beckoned on the Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha to give the team a befitting reception after doing the state proud in the competition for the second consecutive season.

    The Naze Millionaires won the coveted cup for Imo State for the first first time in almost three decades in 2011 when they defeated Enyimba of Aba 1-0 and made it a double in August this year after a nail-biting 2-1 victory over Lobi Stars in Lagos.

    About three months after their heroics at the Teslim Balogun Stadium a source very close to the team told SportingLife that there is disquiet among the players on why it has taken the Imo government such a long time to properly reward them for doing the state proud.

    The source informed that though the players were grateful to the Imo government for offsetting most of the arrears of their last season’s signing-on fees, judging by what the players passed through during the campaign for the 2012 Federation Cup which they braved the odds to win, the Okorocha-led government should have done something to make them happy.

    Though Heartland’s form deepened so badly in the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) last season owing to dispute over signing-on fees arrears which culminated in an industrial action for more than two occasions, the club will still stage a comeback to Africa after the feat in the Federation Cup which returned the club to the 2013 CAF Confederations Cup competition again.

    The Owerri-based side ended the NPL season in the 8th position but are well poised to better that performance this term having retained the core of the players with the club last season and also with some statement-making signings too already.

  • Aregbesola advocates recognition of monarchs

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has said the recognition of traditional rulers is not subject to the Constitution, but rooted in the culture and tradition of the people.

    Aregbesola spoke at the maiden edition of the Oba Okunade Sijuwade Annual Leadership Lecture and Distinguished Award Series in Ile-Ife at the weekend.

    He said the nature and character of a Republic is to make everyone equal before the law.

    The governor said this, however, appears contradictory in respect of kings, who he said cannot be equal to their subjects.

    He said until a viable atmosphere is created to reward the palace, there would be fruitless clamour for a befitting role for traditional rulers.

    Aregbesola said people must recognise their culture and tradition and prevent any person or group from violating them.

    He said culture and tradition, rather than constitutional roles, are the greatest powers of a king, and decried the relegation of the traditional institution to the background.

    The governor said: “What we must do as independent people is to give our monarchs their traditional authority and place of honour. This is not constitutional, but rooted in the culture of our people.

    “If our traditional rulers have been totally relegated by constitutional authorities to the extent that they do not have security and are exposed to being kidnapped, how then do we ask them to guarantee peace in their domains? Does this not amount to a contradiction?

    “Therefore, we must ask for a paradigm shift from the miserable nature of support given to traditional rulers to something more worthy of them, so that they can execute their traditional roles properly.”

  • Drivers licence recognition and bastardisation

    It is heartwarming to hear that our national driver’s licence is now recognised by some American states and in Europe. This is the desire of well – meaning Nigerians and we are happy that it is fast becoming a reality. Kudos to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and other stakeholders that have made this feat possible.

    This development will in no small measure boost the image of Nigeria.

    My fear, however, is that the joy over this recognition may be short – lived. This is because of the ongoing bastardisation of the driver’s licence issuing process.

    What will happen if a person holding Nigerian driver’s licence attempts to drive in America or any European country and he turns out to be a novice without much knowledge of driving?

    What will happen if a person holding a Nigerian driver’s licence is presented for the DSA’s theory and practical tests in the United Kingdom (UK) and he fails woefully? How will the holders of the driver’s licence be rated generally?

    What will happen if a person holding a driver’s licence serially violates the traffic rules and regulations in America or any other country?

    Each of the above cases is capable of smearing the image of Nigeria and make a mockery of the National driver’s licence.

    If we are not going to deceive ourselves, the above cases will surely happen if the relevant authorities fail to quickly correct the anomalies that are already surfacing in the licence issuance process.

    The procedure says all learners must pass through certified driving schools and be well trained in theory and practical sessions before being presented for a learner’s permit and driver’s licence.

    It is disheartening that some officers of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Motor Vehicle Licensing Authority and Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) engage in unholy alliance to present some candidates that did not pass through the certified driving schools for driver’s licence.

    Some of these officers even descended so low as to collecting the certificates of some certified driving schools for direct issuance to the candidates thus preventing them from going through the normal procedures.

    It is not disgusting that some officers of FRSC, MVLA and VIOs are touting for some driving schools just to make personal money?

    What the perpetrators of these dastardly acts fail to understand is that their compromise is discounting the value of the driver’s licence within and outside Nigeria as well as heightening the rate of road crashes and fatalities in Nigeria.