The President of Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE), Ing. Mrs Carlien Bou-Chedid, FGhIE, has inducted 253 new Engineers, made up of 80 Civil Technical Engineers, 49 Mechanical/Agric Engineers, 28 Chemical/Mining Engineers and 96 Electrical/Electronic Engineers.

The induction ceremony, which took place at the Engineers Centre, Roman Ridge on Tuesday, November  14, 2017, was attended by the inductees and their families, Council members of GhIE, Past Presidents of the Institution, the general public and the media.

As the chairperson of the function, Ing. President Carlien Bou-Chedid pointed out to the Engineers, especially, the newly inducted ones that, “learning is an ongoing process. All members of this Institution are expected to undertake Continuous Development Programes annually before having your licenses renewed. This is a basic requirement to ensure you are always abreast with the latest advancements in your area of speciality. As we are all aware, development is taking place very fast and there are new and more efficient methods of performing many engineering activities coming up each day”.

She briefed the new Engineers about the new Constitution that has been voted over and accepted by members in June this year, which, among other things, has, in accordance with the Engineering Council Act, 819, classified Engineering Practitioners into four classes, namely, Craftsmen, Technicians, Engineering Technologists and Professional Engineers.

The first female President of GhIE also called on the government to ensure that properly trained Engineering Practitioners with the requisite licensing from a recognized professional body are engaged to undertake any of its new industrialization initiatives such as one district, one factory, one district one warehouse, modernization of the rail system and national sanitation campaign.

The Guest of honour of the ceremony, Ing. Kwasi A. Kwakwa, FGhIE, admonished the new Engineers to remember that they cannot grow in the engineering world if they do not serve.

“Outside the Institution, you can also plan to rise into national office by going into active politics. There are so few engineers up there and that accounts for the perception that engineers appear anonymous in national life. I can recall a few, Hon. Ing. Yaw Osafo Maafo-Senior Minister, Ing. Owusu Adiomi – Dep. Minister at Ministry of Roads & Highways. But for every one of our own, there will be at least 10 Lawyers and an equal number of teachers. Let’s take a cue from China. Many of the top members of their governing body are Engineers, including, President Xi Yinping”, Ing. Kwakwa said.

The immediate past President of the GhIE, Ing. Dr. Kwame A. Boakye, reiterated his popular mantra that Ghana is going nowhere without engineering practitioners.

“In the course of this career, I have developed more distinct perspectives on the profession. In particular, I have developed the strong conviction that most development problems are essentially engineering problems and that no nation can develop without indigenous engineering practitioners. Engineering has been and continues to be the backbone for the development and progress of nay nation. Therefore, Ghana, our dear nation, is going nowhere without Engineering practitioners”, Ing. Dr. Boakye said.