The Director General/Chief Executive , National Metallurgical Development Centre(NMDC), Jos, Engr. Prof. Linus Asuquo has advocated for improved mental and technological know-how of researchers for more productivity.
Prof. Asuquo made this assertion recently when the Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Plateau State Sector Command , Sector Commander, Akporowho Isaac visited him in his office in Jos, a statement by Sunny Eweama, Head(Press and Public Relations Unit) National Metallurgical Development Centre, disclosed.
The DG/CE expressed sadness over the huge amount of money many countries spend today on infrastructures without commensurate manpower to protect the infrastructures, adding that, for any country or organization to make a breakthrough in research and development, manpower development should be regarded as indispensable.
He reminded the new Sector Commander that the National Metallurgical Development Centre, (NMDC) was established in 1973 as a testing laboratory, but has over time metamorphosed to be among the only three Research Agencies with Metallurgical and Mineral Processing Plants in Africa.
He stressed that despite being a research Agency under the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, the Agency tries to train not only Engineers who are in the mainstream of research but other professionals in the Centre who contribute one way or the other to ensure that the Centre realizes its missions and vision to the Nigerian populace and the world at large.
While noting that he met NMDC two years ago as he assumed leadership of the Centre almost like a ruin, he added that with the unwavering cooperation of the Governing Board, Staff and Management, he has been able to transform the Centre to a level that the government can be proud to regard it as an Agency becoming the best Metallurgical Research Centre in Africa.
For his part, the FRSC Sector Commander, Akporowho Isaac informed the DG/CE that on his assumption of office in Plateau State he was briefed on the cordial relationship that has existed among NMDC and FRSC in Plateau state, hence he decided to consolidate on that.
He expressed his gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for putting the round peg in a round hole, and also thanked the DG/CE for considering FRSC as a professional body to train the NMDC personnel that handle the Automobiles at the Centre.
The Sector Commander who promised that his Sector will make effort to ensure free flow of traffic around the location of NMDC through mounting of traffic signs, challenged other heads of federal government Agencies in Plateau State and beyond to visit NMDC, Jos to borrow a leaf from Prof. Asuquo’s transformation techniques.
