Court restrains ARCON from conducting architects’ professional exams

A high Court of the Federal Capital Territory has restrained Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON), from conducting or purporting to conduct any qualifying professional examinations by whatsoever name or form for the registration of architects in Nigeria.

Justice Muawiyah Baba Idris made the order upon hearing of a motion of ex-parte dated May 30, 2019, and moved on July 30, 2019, by S.N Mbaezue of Paul Ananaba & Co, counsel representing some concerned architects.

In the motion filed by concerned architects and some of them that passed the qualifying examinations conducted by the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) and supported by a 45-paragraph affidavit, the applicants had urged the court for an order of interlocutory injunction against the defendants. They named ARCON, its President, Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) and its President as defendants.

In his ruling, Justice Idris granted the reliefs sought by the applicants and adjourned hearing till August 8, 2019 and also ordered that the summons be served on NIA, (second defendant) and NIA President (fourth defendant).

They had in the originating summons urged the court to determine whether the roles of ARCON extend to the setting up and conducting of examinations for architects.

The applicants are also asking for a declaration that the function of ARCON is the regulation of architecture only in Nigeria, which includes the registration of architects who have sat and passed the examinations. They further sought a declaration that anybody required to carry out and conduct examination for the registration of architects is the NIA.

The aggrieved architects also asked for a court declaration that the professional examination to be conducted for the registration of architects is the Professional Practice Competence Examination and must be in accordance with the NIA constitution.