Estate surveyors go for another constitution review
By Jude Njoku
For the 6th time since its formation 41 years ago, the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, NIESV, is set to review its constitution. The first major constitutional review was undertaken in 1980, eleven after the formation of the professional body. Other reviews followed in 1984, 1989, 1990 and 2005.
Mr. Bode Adediji , NIESV president and other members of the constitutions review panel
The present review, according to NIESV President, Mr Bode Adediji will among other things, reposition the Institution, widen its scope of operations and increase its corporate capacity in line with existing realities. The constitution review is a byproduct of the reform retreat held by estate surveying and valuation eggheads last year at Ada, the golf-course town in Osun State where they tried to chart the way forward for the professional body.
Mr Adediji told newsmen at the maiden sessions of the Constitution Review Committee in Lagos, that if you must transmute from sole proprietorship to a bigger organisation, the rights things must be put in place to actualise the dream.
Sections that may likely be reviewed include those dealing with tenure of elected officials and the relationship between other built environment professionals and international surveying bodies like the RICS and FIABCI. Presently, no section of the NIESV constitution clearly guides that relationship.
Noting that the Institution cannot exist in isolation, Mr Adediji some legislations at the Federal level directly or indirectly impact on the surveyors. Such legislation include the Public Procurement Act, the Petroleum Industry bill, PIB and insurance of public buildings.
“All these reforms have something to do with land reforms and land administration,” he said, adding that estate surveyors and valuers are visible and relevant stakeholders in the execution of the provisions of these acts.
The NIESV President pointed specifically to the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Insurance of building acts. According to him, did not specify that the value of the properties of political office holders should be valued independently by an estate surveyor and valuer while the Insurance Act failed to spell out how to arrive at the value of buildings to be insured and who does what in arriving at the cost.
Set agenda for incoming administration on housing
Meanwhile, the Institution has announced its preparedness to partner with the Federal and State governments on matters affecting the housing and property development sector.
Mr Adediji who called for a holistic relationship between NIESV and the government in resolving the housing problems plaguing the country, charged President Jonathan to appoint built environment professionals to man the sensitive ministries of Works, Housing & Urban Development and Environment.
“The President should use our sector to revamp the economy because majority of unemployed people operate in our sector. Once the real sector is comatose, no other sector can deliver. We must stop our dependence on trading and oil revenue,” he said.
On the President’s charge to Cement Manufacturers to crash the price of the product, Mr Adediji said his profession will support any measure the government takes to force down the price of cement and other building materials. “We cannot solve the housing deficit when the prices of cement and other building materials continue to skyrocket,” he said.
