The Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Hon. Ahmed Mustapha, has paid a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor. He was accompanied by several renowned engineers in the country, including engineers from Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The visit was in relation to the celebration of the on-going Engineers Week which is taking place on the University campus.
The celebration, as stipulated by the minister, would lead to the 5th induction ceremony of a hundred and ten Engineers in the Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE) "Kumasi 2011" under the auspices of His Royal Highness Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the guest of honour.
The Deputy Minister said it was a rare priviledge to visit KNUST at a time when the GhIE was, for the first time taking the celebration outside of Accra. He used the opportunity to inform the house on the bill that parliament had passed a couple of days ago on the establishment of the Ghana Engineering Council. According to the Minister, the bill spelt out the framework as well as the role of all Engineers in Ghana.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Donkor, on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, expressed his gratitude towards the visit. He said Engineering and KNUST have been bedfellows for a long time, since KNUST produces all the Engineers working in the country and added that until recently, engineering distinguished KNUST from the other Universities in the country. He expressed his excitement about the practice regulatory system of the institution and hoped that the establishment of the Council would not lead to monopolistic practices.
He advised that the institution focused on national development rather than creating a professional monopoly. He used the opportunity to brief the delegation on the impending 60th anniversary celebration of KNUST.
Ing. L. A Hersey, a Past President who doubles as the Board Chairman of the Institution, commented on the bill passed by the parliament, explaining that the setting up of the Council was not solely for engineers but also for other sectors in the technical field. He, however, emphasised that all aspects of engineering practice are captured in the bill. He added that the Council would take cognizance of all the pitfalls of the profession. Further on he said the bill would initiate the new building code. He rather hoped that as the trend progressed, members of the alumni would show interest in the Council and hoped for the continued participation of Ghanaians in any such future programmes.
The President of the Institution of Engineers in Sierra Leone, Sidiki B. Sarkoh, also encouraged all the branches to live up to expectation.
Former presidents of the Institution present included Albert Oyeh Ogyiri (Incoming President, CEO, ABP Consult), Frederick K. Asare (CEO, APS Consultancy), A. J. Baffour, Cecil French and Frederick Nyarkoh, all engineers.
