By Francis Igata

ENUGU—Nigeria Institute of Quantity Surveyors has charged President Muhammad Buhari to retool his fight against corruption through effective costing of projects and infrastructure.

Speaking at a two-day national workshop on measurement and cost management of engineering infrastructure projects, the institute lamented that corruption had flourished following poor attention paid to quantity surveyors when projects are conceived even as it added that they “are masters in costing construction projects.”

President of the Institute, Mr. Murtala Aliyu revealed that as cost experts, the members were trained with the requisite discipline to cost projects effectively, in a manner that traces of corrupt practices will not be found in its dealings.

According to Aliyu: ”About 98 per cent of all capital projects by the ministries were executed without cost experts, proper costing and cost control measures resulting to huge losses to government.

“Cost experts have the opportunity to participate in about two percent of the project works undertaken by the ministries under the prevailing scenario. This low patronage is certainly not acceptable for a balanced and sustainable economy.”

“Corruption can be drastically reduced if we are engaged in costing of projects. Value for money will be achieved and experts will be deployed to man infrastructural development in the country”.