The Immediate Past President Ing. Professor J. Redwood-Sawyerr has delivered a farewell address at the Annual General Meeting and 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS of SLIE and PERC on 26th June 2020. The Zoom meeting which was well attended by resident and diaspora engineers from USA, UK and China was a very vibrant and eventful occasion. Ing. Prof. Redwood-Sawyerr who has served the institution faithfully for two bienniums delivered the following speech. “The Chairman, Professional Engineers Registration Council, Ing Tani Pratt and PERC Council Members; Members of Council of the SLIE; Fellows, Corporate Members, Graduate Members, Associates; Student Members. I wish to extend a warm welcome to you all to the 2020 Virtual Annual General Meeting of the Sierra Leone Institution of Engineers as we celebrate 50 years of existence. I wish first of all to thank God for His Divine guidance, direction and resources as I provided leadership for two biennia in the affairs of the Institution while enjoying the full support of Council. In my inaugural address in 2016 I made the following statement on taking up office:

It is therefore with some trepidation that I assume this high office, but at the same time confident that with the support of my seniors, peers, my very media-savvy younger colleagues and the new Council, we shall realize even greater achievements as we move the Institution towards greater inclusion, relevance and visibility. This therefore informs the theme of my address tonight, ‘The SLIE, an Institution that is more relevant, responsive, inclusive and visible.

I am confident that members of the institution will agree that we have continued the efforts made by previous Councils in transforming our Institution to a body that improved on our responsiveness, relevance, visibility and inclusiveness. The COVID-19 ‘new normal’ has challenged our younger members both within and outside Council, to ensure that the legal and Constitutional obligations of the AGM are met including an aspect of the conference that is normally a part of our celebrations. In this regard we were also able to conduct an online presentation and panel discussion on the results and analysis of a Salary Survey and Conditions of service of members using a sample size of 310 compared to and earlier survey in 2018 of 120 respondents. Over 90 participants logged in at that meeting. In order to have a broader field of reference, we are gathering data from some other professional bodies to strengthen our position paper to Government for a minimum wage for engineers.

The International conference theme for this year’s AGM approved by Council was Positioning Sierra Leone in the technology and innovation value chain.

Sub themes were:

• 1. Smart power grids
• 2. Smart transportation systems
• 3. Smart water management systems (including water harvesting )
• 4. The built environment and digital construction
• 5. Disaster Risk Management in the Transport Sector for a Resilient City
• 6.Africa, innovation and the SDGs
• 7. IoT and engineering innovation
• 8. Intrusive/Embedded Chip technology, medical innovations and transaction.
• 9. AI and engineering innovations – a threat or a welcome spring board for Africa’s development

We were hoping to situate Sierra Leone and by extension Africa in the landscape of technological and engineering innovation on the global conversation. The theme also anticipated discussions and reflections on our current report card and what engineers see as the future of Sierra Leone’s development using technology as the vehicle to achieve these targets. Although the conference did not hold due to the pandemic and attendant international travel restrictions, we are hoping to continue these conversations via online platforms for the rest of our 50th Anniversary celebrations. We have also been able to conduct the election of our Vice Presidents and President as well for all but one of our Council members successfully on line. We hope to conclude the election of the outstanding Council member during this meeting. The current medium of the AGM speaks for itself on the use of technology to achieve our statutory obligations in conducting our AGM and presenting reports for the attention of our members including our audited accounts. We would like to register our thanks and appreciation to Ing Louise Chaytor our webmaster and ICT advisor and Ing Georgette Greene our indefatigable Conference Secretary and one of our Vice Presidents Elect for ensuring these obligations were met. Council members have been great in their support during my tenure. Some have made personal financial sacrifices and given of their valuable time to ensure that we succeeded in our plans. Our success has been in our ability to work as a team and to support each other at all times, given our common goals for the Institution.

Membership - The Institution now has 1242 members including 65 Fellows and 652 Corporate members. In compiling the list for paid up members for our Election nomination list, only 197 members were paid up thereby meeting one of the criteria to vote and be voted for as stipulated in our Constitution. This constitute a mere 16% of our registered members. The Council continues to brainstorm on ways of turning this worrisome situation around so as to improve on its revenue base and provide greater visibility and especially increased representation in international meetings. The practice of members funding their attendance at international meetings is a disincentive to many especially our younger members. We must endeavor to change this narrative to encourage more exposure of our younger colleagues to international meetings. In line with this conversation of increasing membership, there has been a number of new articles introduced into the revised SLIE M & A. Additional categories of professionals such as Technologists, Technicians and Craftsmen will now be members of the Institution under these new categories. The conditions for eligibility have been indicated to guide the process. When implemented, greater oversight will then be possible to ensure quality performance of these groups, as well as efforts at continuing professional development of these cadres towards certification especially for highly skilled non-literate artisans. We will be working with technical institutions towards the award of the certificate of a Master Craftsman.

International meetings

The SLIE continued its tradition of attending international meetings. We were able to attend Annual Conferences organized as part of their AGMs of a number of our sister organisations including the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GHIE) and the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) during the period under review. At these occasions, we have attended planned meetings of the Federation of Engineering Organisations (FAEO) and the West African Federation of Engineering Organisations (WAFEO).

However the 2020 AGM and Conference for GHIE was forced to be cancelled as it was to hold just at the time when international travel restrictions were imposed due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. SLIE joined the engineering world in celebrating the first UN approved Engineering Day on 4th March this year. A number of activities were organized including a public lecture and statements by veteran engineers. This will now be a regular calendar activity across the world.

Projects

The Africa Catalyst Project Phase 2 led by Ing Trudy Morgan, have continued in partnership with the Engineers for Change Sierra Leone (EfCSL) and a Team from the Imperial College London. We have also commenced the ACP3 project led by Ing Oba Agwu-Jones, after obtaining approval for sponsorship by the Royal Academy for Engineers UK. Our partners remain the EfCSL, the Team from ICL and a new partner the WAFEO, led by Ing Kwabena Agypong, the Executive Director of WAFEO.

We continue to partner with the University of Sierra Leone and six other Higher Educational institutions in Sierra Leone under the DFID funded project titled Strategic Partnership for Higher Education Innovation and Transform (SPHEIR). The project should end in 2021. The project also include two international partners.

Continuing Professional Development

This will soon be a requirement for certification to practice engineering in Sierra Leone. The document has been discussed at PERC and interventions made to improve on its scope are being incorporated. Members will be informed in due course of the revisions that have been made to the original document presented at one of our public lectures

Acknowledgement

As I end my tenure as President of this great Institution, I wish to register my sincere thanks to all members of Council of SLIE and PERC for their support, especially the Vice Presidents, Ings Trudy Morgan, Bosco Kaikai and Arthur Davies, and the Immediate Past President, Ing Alpha Badamasi Savage. As I mentioned earlier, we have worked together as a team and I have found in each member of Council, dedication and commitment that have made my tenure a success. I look forward to working with the new Council especially the installation of our first female President of the Institution Ing Trudy Morgan and the swearing in of our new Fellows and Corporate Members on the 30th instant. Let me also make special mention to the Executive Secretary, Ing Reginald Wilhelm our first Honorary Member of the SLIE. He has been an encyclopedia, guiding me whenever procedures and data on the Institution were needed. He has also managed the Secretariat admirably and I wish to thank him personally for his dedication and commitment to the goals of the Institution and providing service to our constituents. I wish also to thank the staff at the Secretariat for providing support to the ES in ensuring the Secretariat meets its obligations to its constituent and to Council. I wish also to thank Ing Tani Pratt, Chairman of PERC for his resilience and fortitude in the leadership of PERC and for taking the PERC Act to almost the finish line. Let me also welcome the incoming Council. The work ahead is still challenging but achievable. To our first female President of the SLIE, Ing Trudy Morgan, I wish you every success in your tenure. To our three new Vice Presidents, Ings Oba Festus Agwu-Jones, Georgette Greene and Christopher Forster, I know your track records precede you in terms of your capacity to deliver. I therefore have no doubts that your leadership will be exemplary and will raise the bar in the affairs of our Institution. I also wish to congratulate the other members of Council for the biennium 2020-2022. Please be assured of my counsel at all times in Council as the Immediate Past President. Finally let me once again thank you all for your attendance and participation at this year’s AGM and your support given to the activities of the Institution as well as your comments and advice. We appreciate you all and promise to continue to serve the Institution at all times. Thank you all for your patience and your kind attention. God bless you all and God bless our Institution.