By Divine Sam
The Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers, a division of the Nigerian society of Engineers last week Saturday inaugurate Engr. Akaninyene Edet Ekong MNSE, FNISafetyE as its 3rd National Chairman at the Ibom Icon Hotel and Golf Resort (le Meridien) , Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The colourful event which draw dignitaries and professional engineers from across the country also feature some respected public figures being honoured with meritorious awards.
Among those in attendace includes, Engr. Tasiu Sa’ad Gidari- wudil, FNSE the National president Nigerian society of Engineers, Engr. Azuka Emeasoba, FNISafetyE immediate past National Chairman NISafetyE. Engr. Prof. Joseph Odigure, FNSE, Engr. Wisdom Enang, FNSE. His Royal Highness Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero the Emir of Kano, His Royal majesty Edidem Sylvanus Okon, paramount ruler Uyo LGA, His Royal majesty Rt Hon Edidem Cosmas Nkanga, paramount Ruler Uruan LGA, His Royal Majesty Etinyin Meseme Paramount Ruler Odukpani LGA, Cross River State, Engr. Chidozie Okereke FNISafetyE, Engr. Segun Olatunji FNISafetyE, Chairman Board of Fellows, Engr&Mrs Joseph Ekong, distinguished Senator Bassey Albert Chairman Senate Committee, upstream petroleum resources, Engr. Christopher Ekpenyong senator representing Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District Akwa Ibom State among other distinguished personalities.
Engr Akaninyene Ekong, becomes the 3rd National Chairman of NISafetyE, having served as a pioneer Chairman of Akwa Ibom State Chapter of NISafetyE, National Vice Chairman 1 and deputy National Chairman in the last two years as well as holding other positions over the years. He has worked with joint professional training & support internationally as a HSE consultant, ExxonMobil development company (EMDC) as part of the Nigeria Drilling team and with prosafety, integrated services as a HSE consultant; Engr. Ekong has vast field experience in the onshore/offshore & gas industry spanning ports/terminal, jack up drilling rigs, drilling ships, production platforms, FPSO etc with hands on competency as a trainer; He is currently a safety Health Environment & Assurance standards and technical training unit of ExxonMobil Nigeria/Elper oilfield Engineering Ltd.
Engr. Ekong as a Public Administrator is an achiever in engineering: He was coordinated and got the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers NISafetyE Council approval to establish the Akwa Ibom State Chapter of the institution and became the pioneer Chairman in 2017. He proceeded from there to establish other chapters in the country.
Over the years, he has advocated for safety and the creation of the Akwa Ibom State safety commission, which the bill has gone through public hearing at committee level in the house of Assembly where he made the presentation on 9th March 2020.
Ekong has mentored and sponsored youths on various safety competency development training programmes to get them equipped with the needed skills to secure a job and equally create jobs.
Engr Akaninyene Ekong is a member of the Nigerian society of Engineers, a member of the Nigerian society of Chemical engineers NSCE, A member of Institute of safety professionals of Nigeria ISPON, a member of the National Registry of Environmental professionals USA. He is a fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers, fellow institute of professional managers and administrators of Nigeria, Fellow chartered institute of maritime port and terminal management professionals, USA. Fellow, emergency crisis and disaster risk management institute, fellow, professional leadership practitioner institute.
At the event, the President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr. Tasiu Gidari-wudil Chairman of the occasion, in his opening remarks, expressed delight to chair the 3rd inauguration ceremony of the NISafetyE National Chairman. He said the occasion was an opportunity for him to appreciate all members of the institution for their support on his investiture as the National Chairman and the role played throughout the process that brought him as the 33rd National Chairman of the Nigerian Society of Engineers. He assured to run an all inclusive government where every member of the organisation will have a voice and contribute their quota to the professional development of the organisation and solicited for support to enable the administration deliver the targeted agenda set for the society.
” Today our brother Engr. Akaninyene Ekong is embarking on a mission that will beautify the fates of the NISafetyE in the next two years. Let me inform you that NISafetyE has all legal power to exist. There are over 25 divisions of the Nigerian society of Engineers and there is no division that’s superior to the other and the only time we see superiority is when we see you perform better than others.
With the track record of Engr. Akaninyene Ekong, his wealth of experience and knowledge in health and safety environment, I have no doubt that under his leadership the institution will continue to perform excellently in all class and I’m sure he’s going to build on the foundation laid by his predecessors as the 3rd Chairman of the institution.
The core of society of the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers are advocacy and shall be built around legit infrastructure deficit to suit the industrialisation and economy diversification. The focus of our administration is on professionalism and member welfare and therefore, we will look forward to receive your prompt input at the National headquarters.
I called on you, all members of this professional body to cooperate with your new National Chairman to enable him deliver his agenda in 2 yeof his administration… Congratulations. “
Also speaking the immediate past National Chairman Engr. Azuka Emeasoba listed his achievements in two years despite the pandamic challenges and other distractive situations in the country. He said despite the global COVID-19 explosion in the Nation, his administration resorted to online meetings which straightened the record and improved the website and serves to achieve anything possible within the ambit of social distancing.
He said his administration ensured that membership files were well organised with membership certificates streamline and was still able to carry out some public lectures.
” Our first public outing was the inauguration of the FCT and equally held one hybrid public technical lecture in honour of our pioneer National Chairman, Engr. Biodu Oyedepo NISafetyE. And in addition we had three fellowship conferment ceremonies with technical presentation”
He commended the 3rd National Chairman Engr. Ekong for his deep involvement and believes his administration will wheel the institution to a greater dimension.
Series of goodwill messages from the Emir of Kano His Royal Highness Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, His Royal majesty Etinyin Meseme, their Akwa Ibom counterparts, representative of Senator Bassey Albert, Engr Dr. Wisdom Enang guest speaker, Engr. Prof. Joseph Odigure keynote speaker among others.
In his speech the 3rd National Chairman Engr. Akaninyene Ekong said his administration will run an inclusive government that will accept the contribution of members and consolidate on the successes recorded under the previous administrations in professional development through specific safety competency training programmes for Engineers and the public.
” We shall continue to encourage various chapters of NISafetyE to continue their monthly technical sessions, which highlights process safety, obsolescence management, risk & reliability Engineering, construction safety etc. As core to our competencies.
We shall stimulate academic/research exploits through the screening collation and publishing of research works.
We are set to change the narrative through the creation of a solution being the NISafetyE international journal of Safety and Engineering research which shall be a quarterly online and print publication in strategic partnership with the academia through the use of carefully selected peer reviewers from various safety and Engineering faculties with Nigeria and abroad.
To my National Executive Committee members, God Almighty is entrusting the running and leadership of this young institution in our hands, it is quite a huge, which I cannot achieve on my own. Please I count on your contributions and and continuous support, let us imbibe the spirit of teamwork and advance NISafetyE”
I thank you you all.
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