Cletus Obun, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, speaking on the Lagos-Calabar highway project has expressed concern over Nigeria’s dependence on foreign contractors for major infrastructure development.
Obun in an interview from 9:46 with Daily Trust passionately questioned why Nigerian engineers and technical graduates are not leading major construction projects within the country. “You are constructing a road from Lagos to Calabar and the people constructing the road are Chinese. And we have more than 15 universities of technology in Nigeria with professors of engineering, building engineers as graduates and professors,” the APC chieftain observed.
He further revealed how the infrastructure development in the federal capital territory are being carried out predominantly by foreign contractors. “Go into Abuja and see those constructing the roads; those who are doing these roads are Chinese. Those who are doing these roads are not Nigerians. Where are the engineers?” Obun questioned.
He criticized the gap between academic credentials and practical engagement in construction work. “So, you just hold a paper and say, ‘I have a master’s degree in building engineering,’ and you are building nothing? When construction work is going on daily in one village or every corner of Abuja, in one community or another, people are building their houses. Who are the people doing it? Artisans; it is never the educated people,” he stated.
He argued that educated professionals should become job creators rather than job seekers. He extended his criticism to other professional fields, specifically targeting mass communication graduates. “I have made the point that nobody who studies mass communication should be looking for a TV station. Can’t you use your hands? Can’t you use your head? Can’t you write? There’s so much to do,” he said.
The party chieftain challenged students who journalism in school to engage in more investigative work, particularly in addressing security challenges. “How many undercover journalists have we seen? They can even bust a lot of crimes and bandit cells across the country, in northern Nigeria. How many do we have doing that? How many young journalists do we have doing that? They must be employed.”
