The Imo State chapter of the Nigeria Institute of Builders (NIOB) has urged prospective property developers to consult registered members before embarking on projects.
The institute also appealed to the public to obtain professional advice from the body to avoid patronising quacks, adding that its members engage in the development of quality structures, and building projects that stand the test of time.
Speaking during a sensitisation programme in Owerri, the State’s Chairman, Dr Anthony Osuagwu, said that the advice had become expedient in view of the high degree of quackery leading to cases of building collapse in the state.
Osuagwu, advised officials of the Owerri Capital Development Authority (OCDA), to work in synergy with the builders to eradicate cases of structural defects and building collapse in the state. “We don’t want to hear or see building projects collapsing and killing our people,” he said.
He regretted that many lives, property and resources had been lost due to the activities of quacks in the country. International best practices, he said, must not be compromised.
The Secretary of the body, Vitalis Nlemuzor, advised the OCDA to go beyond registering building plans, by embarking on monitoring of building projects at every stage of construction.
In his contribution, a former Head of Department, Building Technology, Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Dr Ethelbert Onwuka, said the credibility of the profession must be preserved by ensuring that regulatory bodies always exercise their duties.
The Chairman of the 2024 builders week sensitisation, Sam Igbokwe urged OCDA to provide indemnity forms during the planning and approval of the documentation stages to ensure that any erring party, including the contractors, are held responsible when they default.
