Only last week in Abuja, Mr Bode Adediji handed over the leadership of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, NIESV to a new executive council to be led by Mr Emeka Eleh. In this chat with JUDE NJOKU, Adediji gives an account of his stewardship

High points of tenure in office: My starting point to such an important question is that I went in with a mandate to transform and reposition NIESV. That twin objective has been accomplished. In terms of specifics, We have brought the image of the entire profession of Estate Surveying and Valuation to an unprecedented level, principally because people now see us for what we truly are rather than regarding us as just mere estate agents.

We have ballooned the image of the profession positively and we are no longer regarded as mere estate agents. Secondly, there had never been an era where we have a close working relationship between our professionals and government officials at all levels of government -Federal, State and Local Government, much more than during my tenure.

Working relationship
We have created a working relationship and partnership with virtually all the tiers of government in this country so that the frequent neglect we encountered in the past when government wants to roll out its policies that affect our sector and there was no contact between government agencies and surveyors have become things of the past. I cannot image the Federal Ministry of Housing wanting to go into anything like housing policy without making its first point of contact, the NIESV.

Thirdly, we saw ourselves operating under an old constitution. Through the efforts of all my colleagues, we set up a Constitution Review Committee and a few days ago, a new constitution has been ushered in to guide the affairs of the NIESV. The crises that arose in the past was due to a constitutional lacuna; we have now got a more robust, comprehensive and specific constitution to guide the affairs of members of the Institution.

And through the grace of God, and which the recent election which we conducted in Abuja will show to you, all vestiges of primodial interests have been swept away. Look at the election that took place, people voted across tribal, religious, age, sex lines. That is progress.

Again, we have never been so opportuned to generate so much financial resources to the Institution through donations, contributions and grants. That’s another key achievement. For those who may be interested in other physical things, I can let you know that it was during this short period of time that a new building to accommodate the Institution in Lagos was completed and today, the old liaison office in Ilupeju will move to Ikeja Central Business District.

The Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria ESVARBON will now leave their tenanted premises in Somolu and move down to Ikeja CBD. Apart from occupying those two floors, we still have two more floors that we are going to let out to generate income into the coffers of the Institution. 

Highlights of the new constitution.
It is now clear that if you want to set up a firm, it is no longer compulsory to run that firm with father’s name. You can be Judex & Co instead of Jude Njoku & Co.

Secondly, elections into offices shall no longer be held on an annual basis anymore. We aregoing to do it once in two years and that we do not lump elections with annual conferenc so that if the election takes place six months before the annual conference, whatever issues to be resolved vis-a-vis election complaints, allegations would have been cleared so that by the time we all converge for national conference, we are converging only under one umbrella – to pursue intellectual and professional agenda for which such annual conference is principally meant to achieve.

Our constitution is now clear that any issues affecting members must be resolved under the umbrella of the Institution’s organ rather than the perennial predisposition to the situation that has hampered the progress and peace of the Institution. So today, before a member can jump and go and launch an attack in Ada or Awka, he must first and foremost have exhausted all the machineries set up in the constitution before  you can go and sue. That will create peace in the Institution.

We find that the lukewarm attitude displayed by certain segments of membership particularly past presidents, founding fathers and fellows, we have now created a viable organ for them under which they can form a subset of the professional body, we now have the Body of Past Presidents that has been given roles and responsibilities.

We now have a Board of Fellows such like you have in Law (SAN) so that if they have any issues among them and you are a Fellow, you must be able to seek the intervention of Board of Fellows before you can bring such issues to the National umbrella. These are very creative things in the constitution.

The constitution now empowers the General Assembly that if a member of this profession is a rogue or somebody who is operating in a way and manner that will bring disgrace to the profession, the General Assembly is now empowered either through the Annual General Assembly or Emergency Assembly to expel him or her before he/she begins to throw the Institution into disrepute. Those are the key highlights of the amendment we have done.

In terms of organs to operate with, we have about three or four organs now. Wastage of money annually for elections has been done away, we can now conduct elections in two years time and if you don’t have the executive okay, you can impeach them but if they are doing fine and its just an ambition that you want to contest, wait for two years.

Again, it is now possible for a man called Bode Adediji Partnership to to run a company now under BAP Limited so that whether you are Igbo or Yoruba, Muslim or Christian, you can work under the umbrella of a pseudo name that takes care of all interests and that means you can work in any part of the country  since you are not operating with either regional, tribal or sectional name.

Advice for the new exco
My advice to them is that we have created a phenomena, it requires continuous commitment, devotion and sacrifices for them to be able to sustain the tempo of the phenomena. If there was anything that nobody can joke about, the level of awareness of all our members now concerning the affairs of the Institution can been at such a pedestal that no executive can ignore them.

When they are doing things that are right, these people will praise them; when they find they find them doing things that are not right, the kind of uprising and condemnation that will arise will be unprecedented. So, what is important is for them to stay focused and keep the flag flying. And for us who have relinquished power to them, we are seeing ourselves out of office but we are not out of service. We will continue to serve them in whatever capacity they want us to serve.

Any lessons?
I learnt two lessons from my two-years as NIESV president. The first is that God will not give anybody any position  or power without giving him all the enablement that are required to perform if genuinely  he is installed by God. The second lesson which I will never forget is that to govern Nigeria, you must understand Nigerians. And the greatest lesson Ilearnt apart from my closeness to God for what he has done for me, is that He exposed me intellectually, physically, spiritually to the true identity of a people called Nigerians.

Regrets
Not at all! The only thing I could say as a matter of regret is that within my first year, I would have seen the emergence of powerful professional firms boasting of ten partners as we have in law  and Accountancy but because of the long term frame to midwife the constitution which will bring all these changes, it was impossible.

Otherwise, today, we would have been able to boast of about 10, 20 firms that are not perceived as mushroom companies but are seen National firms that can stand their own anywhere in the world.