Engineers in the country have criticized comments by the Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo that they are to blame for the shoddy infrastructural projects n the country.
According to them, it was unfair to blame all engineers for the lapses in the country’s infrastructure especially when there are other external factors that affect the quality of work produced.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, the president of West Africa Federation of Engineering Organizations, Magnus Quarshie said there must be conversations about how to ensure that engineers carry out their duties diligently and effectively.
The Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo while addressing a capacity building conference organized by the Ghana Institute of Engineers, Planners and Surveyors on Friday said the sub-standard infrastructural projects across the country cannot be blamed on politicians but rather engineers who design, execute and inspect these projects.
“…they were trying to apportion the blame and they put the blame on the politicians and I said; well, everyone here can analyze… who designs the roads, they said engineers. Who would normally specify the various adverts for the tender after the contract has been awarded and who supervises the work? Engineers…. No politician goes and supervises work. Who measures work done for payment? Engineers and allied professionals. Who approves the payment? The politicians. So going through these, where would you put the blame. You have gone to measure and analyze and say the man is due 30. My job is to approve the 30 and you think I should be blamed for approving what you have recommended? The answer is a big no!”
“So we professionals are involved seriously in the infrastructural deficit we have in this country,” Mr. Osafo Maafo said.
Mr. Magnus Quarshie said while he agreed with the minister’s analysis, he believes that frank conversations about the morality and motivations of engineers must be had.
Meanwhile, an Architect, Tony Asare has said that there is the need for a regulatory body to check the operations of engineers to ensure quality work.
“There are structural problems, there are corruption and technical issues, however, aspects of it must be properly regulated. If we start at this angle of blaming others for doing it, we will also look at it and start blaming the politicians. They also have a part to play,” he said.
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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana