By Ajiri-Oghene Oreh
In order to drive the socioeconomic development and technological advancement of Isoko nation, the immediate past Delta Energy Commissioner, Pastor Jonathan Ukodhiko has stressed on the need for more investment in the engineering education of children.
Ukodhiko, the Peoples Democratic Party, House of Representatives candidate for Isoko Federal Constituency made the appeal to all Isoko sons and daughters on Saturday in his goodwill message at the 2022 Annual Convention of the Isoko Association of North America (IANA) held at Newark, New Jersey in the United States of America.
According to him, “engineering determines a nation’s level of technological advancement. About three quarter of what humans build, design, develop, and produce are all related to engineering skills”
Ukodhiko, an engineer, stated that, “Unfortunately, our nation’s technical capacity is still very low…which accounts for the sharp contrast with developed nations, for example China where about one fifth of her population are engineers, technicians and other allied professionals“
“To say the obvious, that well advanced nations of China and Japan occupy frontline positions in the world economy presently is largely due to their engineering prowess “
“And so, for Isoko nation to get it right and be modernised then we need thousands of engineers just as our nation, Nigeria direly needs millions of engineers and allied professionals for rapid technological advancement and socioeconomic development.“
Ukodhiko urged Isoko Engineers and professionals residing in foreign countries to invest in the relevant education of children of Isoko origin in the field of the sciences, particularly, engineering in order for us to have over 7,000 trained and certified engineers that would drive the socioeconomic development of Isoko.
“There is need for us professional engineers to come together and support, promote the study of engineering courses especially in the two Engineering Faculties is the newly established University of Sciences and Technology, Ozoro and the Delta State University Oleh Campus.
“This we must do as patriots by providing financial assistances and purchasing basic sciences and research equipments that will not only aid but enhanced the teaching, learning and research at the various Faculties of Engineering,“ Ukodhiko added.
