By Chris Ochayi

ABUJA – The Federal Government has blamed the regulatory agencies in the construction sector for failing to apply professionalism and commitment to the achievement of the highest professional standards in the building industry.

Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Amal Pepple who spoke at the inauguration of the 5th Board of the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria, CORBON, described the unhealthy practices in the building and construction industry as worrisome.

The Minister named ills in the sector as lack of safety standards on building sites, use of inferior building materials in building construction, poor house quality and designs, prevalence of unskilled artisans and non professionals in the construction of buildings and lack of maintenance standards.

Noting that these anomalies have lingered on for a considerable time, she insisted that “the time to act to correct these ills is now.”

She charged the builders to “work collaboratively with the ministry and other key stakeholders in building and construction industry to raise the bar of professional excellence in the housing and urban development sector.”.

“The need to check the rot and unethical practices in the sector is compelling, hence the imperative of cleaning up the system by removing those found to be bringing dishonour to it if we are to achieve higher levels of responsiveness in meeting the needs of the people. I will not fail to mention the embarrassing and rising incidents of building collapse in the country which have gone beyond the limits of our tolerance,” she lamented.

Ms Pepple urged the Council to quickly put in place the enabling mechanisms that will assist it to tap the benefits of the initiatives developed by this administration to revitalize the housing and urban development sector.

“You can achieve these aims by ensuring that your registered members are continuously kept exposed to innovative and cutting edge practices in housing delivery and urban development. You should also encourage and monitor your members to ensure that they painstakingly observe the laid down procedures and professional ethics in the discharge of their responsibilities”, she charged.

To the Minister, “the non utilization of the expertise of builders could hinder the successful implementation of the housing policy of the government. She maintained that developers and contractors without professional builders in their organisations should not qualify to be awarded building construction contracts.

The Council which is headed by Professor Kabir Bala has Mrs. Salma Y. Mohammed, Engr. Victor Oyenuga, Bldr. Emenike John Isiah, Bldr. Dauda Isa Gunda, Bldr. Ibrahim Mohammed Bingila, Mrs. Eucharia C. Enebe and Bldr. Ahmed Sambo Mohammed as members.