The Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo, has stressed that no nation can make any meaningful impact in its infrastructural development effort without the active contributions of its engineers.

He, therefore, urged members of the Ghana Institution of Engineers to make it their responsibility of translating the government’s infrastructural policies into reality for the good of all.

The Senior Minister said these at the 48th Annual Conference of the Ghana Institution of Engineers in Sunyani.

Members of the engineering fraternity in Ghana including delegates from sister Engineer Institutions in Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone were in attendance for the weeklong conference.

It is geared towards evaluating the past activities of the Engineers Institution and to also deliberate on the role of the engineer in the sustainable development of the country’s natural resources.

The President of the Ghana Institution of Engineers, Ing Dr. Kwame Boakye, said Ghana is endowed with natural resources but their exploitation is tantamount to disastrous abuse.

He therefore hinted of the creation of an eminent body of Engineers that will hold regular consultations with government in finding solutions to the country’s infrastructural challenges.

Mr. Osafo Marfo, who represented the Vice President at the opening ceremony said there is no excuse for 60 year old Ghana to continue depending on external help for the development of the country.

He said many infrastructural initiatives are being introduced under the government’s agenda of change for job creation and opportunities.

He asked the engineers to help the government realise its transformation agenda through their specialised knowledge.

This year 109 candidates who passed the Ghana Institution of Engineers professional examination were inducted as full members of the Institution. They took the induction oath and were awarded membership certificates that confer the title “Ing” on them.

Sharing some pertinent thought with the inductees a past President of the GRIE, Professor Samuel Ampadu, said their new status goes with enormous responsibilities. He asked them to defuse public criticism by acquitting themselves creditably in their chosen field of work.