For the first time since its inception in 1958, the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the umbrella organisation for the engineering profession in Nigeria, is enmeshed in controversy over election into its executive arm.
The NSE’s election held on December 9, 2021 was cancelled by its immediate past President, Babagana Mohammed, over an alleged “criminal cyber breach”.
The former president, who addressed journalists on December 22, 2021 in Abuja, canceled the election of the association, which was to see the election of a new Deputy President and other national executives, and ordered for a rerun, alleging that the cancelled election was marred by more flaws and criminal cyber breach.
Some people were said to have hacked the database of the organisation to manipulate the outcome of the election.
Engr. Mohammed said he nullified the election because the integrity of the society’s election process was threatened. He said: “It is with great trepidation that I inform you that the NSE election conducted on December 9, 2021 was later discovered to have more flaws and criminal cyber breach that were not available when the result was approved at the Annual General Meeting (AGM)”.
Mohammed, as is the norm and tradition of the NSE, 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 and the Executive Secretary, Engr. Dr. Okopi Alex Momoh. The Executive Secretary is the head of the Secretariat and oversees the day-to-day running of the NSE Secretariat.
A member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Society of Engineers on the 5th December 2021 sent e-mails informing members that the president of the society has approved on behalf on the council an adjustment to the election timetable.
He said accreditation of members was well circulated by the executive secretary via e-mails to members, adding that some members were not able to get their voting codes, but was later manually generated because the MEMART then states that only onsite members at the AGM can participate.
According to him, the manipulation by what he called a ‘cabal’ was easy because they, who are divided, but understand the tricks that brought them to power, were eating from the same basket.
He said aggrieved members of the society complained through the president, who was presiding over the 2021 NSE AGM that the NSE 2021 election has been compromised, “some members of the society were unable to get the voting code through their phone numbers or e-mails.
When Blueprint sought the reaction of the Head, Media & Publications of the NSE, Abdulkadir Aliyu, the phone rang without any response.
