Nigerian Society of Engineers Elects First Female President in 65 Years

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) yesterday elected its first female National President in 65 years, with Mrs. Margaret Oguntala, set to lead the organisation from January 1, 2024.
Announcing the outcome of the online polls in a press briefing in Abuja, the outgoing President of the society, Tasiu Gidari-Wudil, stressed that the election took place after the court set aside an earlier interlocutory injunction stopping it.

Aside Oguntala, other officials of the body elected alongside her were the Deputy President, Ali Alimasuya Rabiu as well as six vice presidents namely: Joseph Sunday Adebayo, (South-West); Danladi Ushiki Adamu, (North-East), Rose James Madaki (North-West); Felicia Nnenna Agubata, (South-East); Bemogho Ofoeyeno (South-South) and Ademola Isaac Agoro (South-West).

The new national executive committee also comprised Ibrahim Hammadikko (North-East); Aliyu Dutsinma Ibrahim, (North-East); Rachel Serumun Ugye, (North-Central); Ndifon Mbeh Agbiji,  (South-South) Abraham Aghadike, (South-East) and Prof. Olumide Moses Ogundipe, (South-West)
The statutory audit committee members are:  Greg Obiajulu Ashibuogu, Clara Chizoba Anyanwu-Amadi and Dr. Omolola Adenike Adetona.
At the event, the outgoing president noted that the elections were supposed to hold during the last Annual General Meeting (AGM) to elect the 2024 officers into the national executive committee and the statutory audit committee, but had to be put on hold to respect the court order.
“You may have been reading reports in the media of a situation that seemed like a crisis within the ranks of the NSE, in the week preceding the just concluded National Engineering Conference and AGM and even after.

“The background information is that one of the contestants in the 2021 elections who felt aggrieved about the outcome of the election results went to an Abuja High Court and secured an interlocutory injunction stopping the 2023 elections.
“However, the AGM gave approval for the president to call an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting (EGM) after the court case had been resolved.
“I am happy to announce to you that on December 18, 2023, the court, having taken the application filed by the society challenging the said order and the arguments of both counsel, set aside the order  it made on November 24, 2023.
“Therefore, as agreed at the AGM, an EGM was called for today (Thursday) December 21, 2023. The elections were conducted online and results have been announced,” he stated.

Deriving from the declared results, the elected officers, Gidari-Wudil said, will run the affairs of the society henceforth, beginning January 1, 2024, under the leadership Oguntala as president, the outgoing leader noted.
He informed the general public that the state of affairs of the NSE was stable and robust and saluted his team members for the unalloyed support they gave him.
Even though there may have been few challenges, he noted that he was happy leaving a united house.