By Frank Momoh
Crisis is in the offing as the umbrella body of the Nigeria’s Society of Engineers is fast slipping its past glory and integrity into the mud as a result of a stagemanaged deal to swear in Engr. Mrs. Magareth Oguntala as its 34th President.
Oguntala, is currently the Deputy President of the Society.
A renowned member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Engr. Joseph Akinteye, has moved to dragged the Society and three others to court seeking an injunction to stop the swearing in of a new President of NSE come January 2024.
In a suit No. CV/158/21, dated one 24/11/2023 filed at the Federal Cappital Territory (FCT) High Court, Gwagwalada Division, Akinteye, is also seeking an injunction restraining NSE and other three defendants, Engr. Emeka Eze, Engr. C. Mbanefo, and Engr. Mrs. Magaret A. Oguntala, from further conducting the 2023 elections slated on 29th and 30th November, 2023 pending the determination of the suit.
The claimant, Engr. Akinteye, is also seeking for a court injunction restraining Engr. Mrs. Oguntala from parading herself as Deputy President of NSE and her further inauguration as the 34th President of NSE in January 2024.
The suit is also seeking that a caretaker committee be formed by NSE in order to avoid a vacuum in the leadership of NSE pending the determination of the suit.
The NSE AGM/Conference is slated to hold from 29th November-December 1st 2023. The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the umbrella organization for the engineering profession in Nigeria, has been enmeshed in controversy over elections into its executive arm since the NSE’s election held on December 9, 2021
The 2021 election was cancelled by the immediate past President of NSE Babagana Mohammed, over an alleged “criminal cyber breach”.
Some members were alleged to have hacked the database of the organisation to manipulate the outcome of the election.
Recall that the former NSE President Engr. Babagana Mohammed, handed over the running of the activities of the Society to his Deputy, Engr. Tasiu Sa’ad Gidari-Wudil, the current and the 33rd President of the association.