Friday, 29th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search
Breaking News:

ESVARBON, ministry hold talks, urge FG to abrogate new COREN gazette

By Nkechi Onyedika-Ugoeze, Abuja
03 June 2019   |   2:32 am
Amid the controversy trailing the new gazette approved for the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the special team constituted by Estate Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria ....

Nweke Umezuruike

Amid the controversy trailing the new gazette approved for the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the special team constituted by Estate Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON) has met with the ministerial committee raised by the former Minister, Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.

The ESVARBON team, which was led by the Chairman, Sir Nweke Umezuruike included Ven L.L. Eso, Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) President, Sir Roland Abonta, Dr. Patunola-Ajayi, Dr. Austin Otegbulu, Stephen Mayaki, Dare Bello, Victor Alonge and the Registrar, Ifeanyi Uzonwanne.

The panel’s mandate were to unravel, whether the COREN Regulations are in conflict with ESVARBON law and regulations; which profession has mandate for valuation.

In the tripartite meeting between the ESVARBON, NIESV and the committee, the board urged the federal government to abrogate the new COREN gazette, which empowers engineers to practice valuation of plant, machinery and equipment. 

Umezuruike noted that the board wrote to the Fashola drawing his attention to the developments in the practice of surveying profession, which it considers detrimental to practice of estate surveying and valuation.He explained that COREN in July last year published certain regulations which if left unchecked would empower engineers who are not registered persons to practice valuation.

According to him, the former Minister set up a committee to investigate the issue to find out what are their grievances.  “The committee has interacted with the affected professions.  Today, they interacted with us and will sift what they have noted in their interactions and begin their work,” he said.  

Also speaking, Abonta said that the valuers are responsible for the  determination of economic worth of assets in all its ramifications, adding that estate surveyors are the only ones empowered by the law to value and fix monetary worth on such assets but engineers are claiming that they will do the same . 

Abonta who noted that the ministerial committee came on fact finding, said,  “ We have been able to give them detailed information and data.  We have practiced valuation in this country for the past 50 years and it’s too late for contenders to start challenging our authority.

“Our Act is the only one that authorises registration and practice of valuation in Nigeria. The regulation that was signed by the minister was unlawful as it did not emanate from the principal Act that set up the engineering profession and therefore should be set aside.”

0 Comments