The Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has advocated for the elimination of quackery in the construction industry, especially in the field of architecture in Kwara State.
The call was made by the Kwara State representative on the board of Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) Arc. Aliyu Muhammad Saifuddeen (FNIA) earlier this week during an advocacy visits to the Chairman of Kwara State Geographic Information Service (KW-Gis) ESV Abdulkareem Sulyman (Anivs, RSV) and the General Manager Kwara State Public Procurement Agency (KWPPA), QS Raheem Abdulbaki.
In a press statement made available to Just Event Online TV on Thursday
According to Saifuddeen; “the menace of failed projects, including building collapses, is largely hinged on quackery and unprofessional conduct by practitioners in the construction industry. This, is a concern to the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) under the Chairmanship of Arc. (Sir) Oladipupo Gabriel Ajayi FNIA.”
Saifuddeen added that it was in response to this menace, that the ARCON has set up a Seven Man Monitoring Committee in each of the states of the federation to ensure due diligence in the discharge of architectural services across the nation.
Saifuddeen, who is also the Immediate Past Hon. Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development in the State, however, requested the two government agencies to assist ARCON in the implementation of the Architects Projects Registration Number (APRN) in the State designed by ARCON to sanitize the architectural profession of the activities of quacks.
Stressing that the number is specially allocated to each architectural project for identification and linked to an architect licensed by law to practice in Nigeria.
In their separate remarks, the Executive Chairman of KwGIS ESV Sulyman agreed with the APRN principles as explained, he however requested the ARCON Representative to come back at a later date to further enlighten the Service on it, while the GM of KWPPA QS Abdulbaki for his part said that the call was an attempt by the former Commissioner to further the good initiatives he brought forth to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development during his tenure in the State.
The two heads of the agencies promised to ensure sanity in the construction procurement processes at the State by escalating the message to the relevant MDAs.
Also speaking during the visit, Chairman of Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) Kwara State chapter Arc. Femi Abogunrin requested the State Government to immediately employ additional architects in the State Civil Service and at least a senior architect to fill the obvious vacuum at the State Planning Authority.
The ARCON Rep applauded the State Governor Mall. AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman (CON) for embarking on various architectural projects in the state, especially the Innovation Hub, the Visual Arts Center, the Revenue House, the Ilorin International Conference Center and the Ilorin SMART City, which would have direct impact on the citizens of the State.
Also Part of the team of the ARCON representative during visits were Arc. Gbemi Ayankola, Secretary and Arc. Peter Ajiteru, Public Relations Officer of the Kwara State chapter of the NIA.
Kwara ARCON Rep, Arc. Aliyu Muhammad Saifuddeen, KWPPA GM QS Raheem Abdulbaki, Kwara NIA Chair Femi Abogunrin and
Kwara NIA PRO, Arc. Peter Ajiteru
