The Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has identified lack of resources and poor conception, and advised public and private organisations to set SMART – specific, achievable, and time-bound goals to check abandoned projects in the country.
He gave the advice during a courtesy visit to Government House, Yenagoa, by a delegation of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), Bayelsa Chapter, led by their Chairman, Engr. Ann Jonathan Obuebite.
He said it is almost impossible for any well-thought-out project to fail because critical issues such as funding and implementation plans must have been taken care of right from the conception stage.
He commended the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria, Bayelsa Chapter, for a smooth transition process that gave birth to a new executive council, noting that most organisations had collapsed due to conflicts arising from transfer of power in the country.
He congratulated the new exco on their successful election and urged them to set measurable and realistic goals that could be achieved within their two-year tenure in office.
“I want to also commend you for what you are doing in our schools: encouraging our children to develop interest in science and technology, particularly the female students. All your five cardinal programmes are quite ambitious, starting from the issue of going round schools in the state. I have always advised people to set SMART agenda so that everyone will benefit from it,” he stated.
“Your goals have to be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. You have only two years to serve, and the number of secondary schools is many. So, how will you be able to touch all the secondary schools? But if you set a percentage of the schools—let’s say 30 schools—and you are able to cover 25 schools at the end of your tenure, then you can judge yourself as having done a great job,” he added.
The State Chairman, Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), Engr. Ann Jonathan Obuebite, explained that the visit was to introduce the new executive to the Deputy Governor and invite him to its inauguration, which will take place next month.
She said APWEN had been going round secondary schools in the state to encourage students to develop interest in science and technology, especially engineering.
However, she expressed worry that, since the opportunity notice was given three months ago, only 20 people had so far picked up the free JAMB forms procured by the Association for students willing to study engineering courses.
She further announced other programmes of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria to include encouraging the registration of female engineers, a tools-and-tiara programme for school dropouts, and the launch of an annual public lecture in honour of Professor Ongoebi Etebu, who is not only a Bayelsan but also the first Nigerian professor of mechanical engineering.
