Oiwona Launches Two Books

EDUCATION 

Six Courageous Women Engineers Formed APWEN- Engr. Felicia Agubata

By Miles Olu and Oliver Iwelu

Speaking as the President of The Association of Professional Woman Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) at the maiden edition of Olu Maduka Annual Lecture (OMAL) at the Henry Fajemirokun Hall, Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Idowu Taylor, Victoria Island, Lagos Engr. Felicia Agubata narrated to the uncommon audience how six courageous women engineers formed the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) 35 years ago.

Adding that these six Courageous Women Engineers came together and mapped out the technicalities involved at formal launching of APWEN with Engr. Mrs. Joanna Olu Maduka as the founding president while others are Engr. Nkechi Isigwe FNSE, Engr. Mayen Adetiba FNSE, Engr. Nwakaego Ojukwu FNSE, Engr. Beatrice Oduniyi FNSE, and Engr. Idiat Amusa FNSE. Speaking further Engr. Agubata said that the engineering profession has offered Engr. Maduka FNSE to humanity in all ramifications of human endeavors, adding that she is one of the very best that came out of the engineering sector as it is right and proper to give honor to those who have earned it by dint of hard work, vision, leadership, and uncommon service to mankind.

The president of APWEN Engr. Agubata said that they are here to celebrate and attest to the works and impacts of Engr. Mrs. Olatunmbi Joanna Maduka FNSE, FAENG, MFR adding that she is an engineer of repute, a wife, a mother, an inspirational figure, a leader and servant as she actually marked her 77^th birthday ceremony to the glory of God.

Speaking further to the gathering Engr. Agubata said that APWEN unanimously did take a decision to celebrate and honor her own icon and founders through a lecture series adding that as the very first female registered engineer in Nigeria and the founding president of their great association APWEN Joanna Olu Maduka has to be the number one to be celebrated for her professional accomplishments and standing in the society are compelling.

Engr. Agubata said that in their own estimation, the event serves them better than conventional posthumous activities that have become a standard in Nigeria adding that it is their firm belief that it is the right way to celebrate and honor a woman, an engineer and an administrator who blazed the trail that they are following today as their bottom line is that their shining stars should be celebrated in their life time. Speaking to the audience with a good will message Engr. Prof. Fola Lasisi, professor of structures and environment -------retired but not tired said that Engr. Mrs. Maduka has been a pioneer everywhere, she was engaged adding that the details would be well articulated at the lectures. In his words “My purpose is to congratulate out great leader in engineering as she celebrates another birthday and wish our president many more years of service to the profession and the whole society in good health and happiness –Amen”.

Speaking as the guest speaker Prof. Emmanuel Olukayode Oladipo , Professor of Geography, University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba , Lagos delivered a thought provoking lecture that triggered inestimable contributions at the end of the lectures. Prof Oladipo said our environment must be good to live by all and sundry. He said that each time it rains that Victoria Island is always flooded with floods and he advises that the engineers should be held responsible for the poor drinages here and there.

He said that our environment must be conducive for women largely as it is very easy and convenient for men to urinate at any available space wherever nature calls, but for women it is not easy for them to urinate in public places whenever nature beckons on them. He said that Oluoshun Ojota dump site is an eyesore to the Lagos State government who pretended not to see the heavy health hazards the burning of dump site has caused all Lagosians.

He said that in South Korea that their environment is well structured out for the citizenry as he posited that the environment is only means of livelihood. He said that in the next 40 years to come that the population of Nigeria would have hit more than 400,000,000 people while the whole the globe is about 7 billion people. He asked if by 2050 the population of Nigeria would double that of United States of America, where is the environment for Nigerians to live!

He said that engineers should in all sense of responsibility work out inclusiveness environment for all and sundry. He spoke about the issue of sustainable development as the entire world has to follow the climate change and the global warming. He further posited that the women must be made to survive in our environment and in all circumstances because women are the salt of the earth. As he says that since 1961 humanity has taken much of the environment and that our water would be affected if a proper attention is not taken on the environment.

Prof Oladipo said that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has to be properly maintained as vegetables could be grown without soil, which Japan is a clear example where vegetables are grown without soil. Again he said that the heavy smoke the Lagosian around Oluhosun, Ojota, Ogudu, Oshodi, Ikeja, Ilupeju, are inhaling is really dangerous to their health. Speaking to the audience as a guest speaker Engr. Yetunde Holloway MNSE said that the women engineers are really doing well, but, the saddest thing is that about 70% of them do not go out to practice after qualification, adding that it is not telling well on the profession and women.

She said as qualified women engineers that they should all go out to practicalize all they have learnt through trainings. She said that women engineers have laudable roles to play for the good of the society as she said that Nigeria lacks, good drainage system compared to Israel and South Africa who have channels of drainage system.

She said that if a nation’s environment is not properly managed that that nation would have multiple problems to curtail with. She said that the education of female children should be given top priority by the policy makers and stakeholders that the valueness of education to all and sundry cannot be measured by any standard.

She said that there should be heavy laws and regulations that would teach rapists and gang rapists some good lessons whenever they are apprehended by the longer arm of the law. She said again that women should not be meted with violence by opposite sex because women are wonderful creatures from God and as such they should be treated with care and all that. She said that everyone should be a stakeholder in the education of the girl child because when a woman is educated a nation is blessed. She said that education must be promoted for all children in Nigeria most especially the females ones that education enhances knowledge for all female engineers.

She painfully said that the majority of children dropping out of schools are female ones, which she said that it is a bad and sad signal, because female education brings development, to the society. She said that educated women are better equipped for the unimaginable developments and she concurs that women who are educated do extremely well in their chosen careers.

Yes, she agrees that women are the home makers but that women need to go out to work and earn some good cash for themselves. She submitted that no economic can do well if there is no good education as she agrees that women are huge human resource to the economics. She said that it truly takes a whole village to educate a girl child as education creates wealth for the educated.

She rounded off her lectures with the uncommon quote of the former America first lady Mrs. Michelle Obama 2014 “No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potentials of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of her citizens. Speaking with journalists Engr. Babagana Mohammed Deputy President of Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) who stood in for the President, the Nigerian Society of Engineers as the Chairman of the OMAL2018 lecture series Engr. Adekunle Mokuolu FNSE said that Engr. Mrs. Maduka is a special breed to humanity. He said that Engr. Mrs. Maduka has contributed immensely to the engineering profession and that she is a trail blazer and role model that the younger women engineers should emulate her in all ramifications. He said that Engr. Mrs. Maduaka is aging gracefully because she did not look like a woman of 77 years old rather she still looks like sweet 16 night gale. In his words “I wish mama Engr. Maduka all the blessings of God upon her life, her husband, children and her constituency in the name of Jesus Christ- (Amen)”

Speaking with Journalists Engr. Dr. Edet Amana, FNSE, FAA Engr. CON, Past President (ACEN) Association for Consulting Engineers in Nigeria, past President, Academy of Engineers said that Engr. Mrs. Maduka is a through bred engineer who has developed, managed, designed and contributed her wonderful expertise to the engineering profession. He said that they have met with themselves in the course of carrying out their duties as engineers adding that Engr. Mrs. Maduka is a uncommon blessing to the engineering profession and the society at large as he wishes her hearthy 77 cheers and cups of black coffee.

Speaking to the audience the celebrant herself Engr. Mrs. Maduka first and foremost gave thanks to Almighty God who has unimaginably bestowed His blessing upon her and all sundry. She particularly thanked APWEN members, guest speakers, special guest of Honour Dr. Michael Olawale Omolayole, co-founders of APWEN and all sundry for their undying love for her and her immediate family.