Abia, NIESV cautions against engaging non-professionals

Abia State government and estate surveyors have cautioned the public against engaging non-professionals in their land acquisition, management and development, warning that so doing leads to avoidable claims and litigations.

The state Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Planning, Dr. Chidi Onwuchuruba and Chairman of the state Chapter, Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Mr. Augustine Ucheibe, who spoke separately in Umuahia, the state capital, when members of the NIESV concluded their three-day public sensitisation programme to Celebrate the Valuation Day 2023 themed, “Valuation: Key To Decision Making For Asset and Resources Optimisation”.

He noted the Day’s essence is to create awareness, as well as show the importance and credibility of estate surveyors and valuers, stressed that engaging and tolerating non-professionals and quacks into the system would continue to endanger town planning and developments.

Onwuchuruba emphasised the need for people to always engage estate surveyors and valuers in land and property management, which he described as the best way to ensure town planning rules are maintained. He, however, charged surveyors and valuers to be sincere in dealing with their clients in land documentation.

While appealing to the incoming administration to engage experts in land matters, UcheIbe urged Abians to always consult professionals before and after buying land before developing it into property.

He said: ” When you’re buying a land, you’re delving into people’s history, hence, you need to consult an estate surveyor and valuer to do due diligence and tell you the history.”

In a related development, the institution has lamented the poor attention given to building construction in the country, which has led to incessant building collapses.

The experts, who spoke in Ibadan,the Oyo State capital, during a sensitisation walk round the metropolis to mark world Valuation Day, stressed the need for the builders to make use of core professionals to curb building collapses.

Oyo State NIESV Chairman, Adebayo Oluseyi, said proper management of land is needed to checking avoidable risks.

Oluseyi, said the place of professionals should not be undermined, while also warning Nigerians against undermining due process.

He said the group is already working with the government to ensure decisions made targets improved real estate industry development.

Other stakeholders noted that valuation remained key to taking critical decisions needed for resource optimisation for addressing the challenges of building collapses in the country.