Director General of Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Ing. Simon Allotey has charged Engineers in the country to think outside the box to bring accelerated development to Ghana.

Ing. Allotey said this when he delivered a keynote address as the special guest speaker the 2016 Engineering Excellence Awards organized by the Ghana Institution of Engineers on Saturday, 12th November 2016 at the premises of the Engineers Centre, Roman Ridge, Accra.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Engineering and Innovation to promote National Development’, Ing. Allotey said, “As Engineers, we need to create a platform for networking and sharing of best industry practices, apply engineering skills and experiences as individuals and collective to bring a lot of accelerated socio-economic development to our dear nation”.

“Innovation is a concept or principle which we have not aggressively embraced as a nation. I will not attempt to put engineering into a box as to limit it to the development of just infrastructure, we must think outside the box, develop a lot of innovative engineering concepts that will impact positively and define the transformational path along which the nation should tread”, he added.

President of GhIE, Ing. Dr. Kwame Boakye said, “The Engineering Excellence Awards is one of the core programs that the Ghana Institution of Engineers has initiated to make engineering visible to society and to recognize and honor the achievements and outstanding contributions of our local professionals and organizations in engineering and engineering practice”.

Prempeh College Robotic Club won the Outstanding Engineering Knowledge & Exemplary Achievement Award. Ing. Araba Amoh Aidoo also won the Distinguished Woman in Engineering Excellence.

Kwadwo Ankamah Grant-Boateng, a student of Nada Preparatory School-Drobo, Jaman South in the Brong Ahafo region and Immanuella Yeboah, a student of Clyde Academy-Duayaw Nkwanta, Koforidua Primary School in the Brong Ahafo region won the Early Childhood Awareness & Engineering Potential, Primary Awards.

For Innovation, Applied Science & Mathematics for JHS category, Seth Saka, a student of Lekma 1 Junior High School in the Greater Accra region and Ayamballa Ayambilla Moses, a student of Manhean Anglican in the Greater Accra region were adjudged winners. The SHS category were won by Adu-Kyere Diabour Clifford, a student of Sunyani SHS and Dzaka Jamina Atsufe, a student of Adidome SHS in the Volta region.

DEXT technology won the Engineering Concepts and Innovations Awards, while MTN won the Engineering Business Management Award, with Ing. Professor Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah winning the Research Award. The most published Author (Engineering Publications) award was received by Dr. Ing. Samuel Kofi Tulashie; whilst Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly won the Public Award for application and advocacy of Engineering practices to meet societal needs and impacting on the national economy.

The award ceremony was attended by members of Engineering Council, Past Presidents of GhIE, members of GhIE, media and the general public.