Engineering Society of Liberia Newly Elected President Says the Downplay of Engineers Has Made Liberia the ‘Least in Development’

Monrovia – Victor B. Smith, the newly elected president of the Engineering Society of Liberia says for any society to be developed, the engineering profession needs to be taken seriously.

Smith made the statement when he and other newly elected officials of the Engineering Society of Liberia were inducted to the office to steer the affairs of the institution for the next two years.

The induction ceremony, which was held in the conference room of the Ministry of Public Works on Lynch Street over the weekend, brought together several engineers from the government and international development partners.

He said that for too long the profession has been overlooked. Mr. Smith further lamented that the low income for engineers is one of the leading causes of the many sub-standard projects in the country.

“The lack of the consideration of engineers in the planning process of our country has left our country to be placed on the world map as one of the least, if not the least developed country in the world,” Smith says.

He praised the past leaderships for their role played in uplifting the institution and at the same time outlined major reforms for the next two years.

Smith said his leadership will work with the members of the Legislature, especially the Senate Pro-Tempore Albert Chie to make sure that the Act of the Engineering Society of Liberia is passed into law.

He called on fellow engineers in Liberia to be part of the institution so as to bring the needed transformation not only in the organization but in the country at large.

Also speaking, N. Hun-Bu Tulay, the former Managing Director of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation who himself is an engineer by profession called engineers in the country to support the current leadership of the Engineering of Liberia.

“Be proud to support this leadership and work together,” he said.

Also, adding up, the Acting Minister of the Ministry of Public Works Madam Ruth Mannah Coker-Collins praised members of the Engineering group, especially those that are part of the Ministry of Public Works for the level of work they have done in Liberia.

She said the government of Liberia will work closely with the new leadership of the Engineering Society of Liberia to improve the developmental infrastructure of Liberia.

“We will work with the new leadership. As a member of this association, I pledge my support to work with this leadership. We look up to you to team up with us. I believe engineering is teamwork; we all need to work as a team to drive our developmental goals of our country,” Madam Collins said.