‘Engineers don’t blow up pipelines,’ Group tells President

The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has dismissed President Muhammadu Buhari’s insinuation that engineers might be involved in the pipeline attacks in the Niger Delta.

President Buhari made the commenton Tuesday, November 29, after being named the Grand Patron of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering (NAE).

“If I will go in the negative side, how can an ordinary Nigerian go into the sea, 70Km or more, go down two metres and blow up oil installations?” Buhari asked.

“That cannot be an ordinary Nigerian. So, I hope you will appeal to your colleagues to make sure that what we have built, they should safeguard them whether they are working with multinationals or the government,” he added.

NSE President, Otis Anyaeji reacted to the president’s comments during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, November 30.

“It is not engineers that dive into the waters. It is not possible. Our registered engineers are not even involved in all these incidents, such as building collapses and the likes, not to talk of engineers going to take dynamites to blow up pipelines. That cannot happen,” he said according to Punch.

Buhari earlier begged Niger Delta militants to stop bombing pipelines in the restive region.

“I appeal to the people of the Niger Delta region to embrace peace and focus on agriculture for sustainable economic development and wealth creation,” the president said.

“I urge you to take advantage of the huge potential in agriculture and stop the destruction of oil and gas pipelines, which only serve to destroy our ecosystem and economy,”he added.

ALSO READ: Buhari should not be trusted – Niger Delta Avengers

The government earlier entered into negotiations with the militants in a bid to ensure peace in the region but the talks failed after the militants accused the government of insincerity.