Lagos planners adopt design for 18-floor secretariat

Efforts at bequeathing a befitting secretariat for Lagos Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has received a boost with the completion of the architectural and structural designs of the institute’s proposed 18-floor secretariat in Ikeja.

The immediate past chairman of the branch, Abiola Anifowoshe disclosed this at the investiture of Adekunle Salami as the 15th Chairman of Lagos State chapter and inauguration of the executive committee in Lagos.

According to him, efforts are being coordinated in facilitating the commencement of the development of the secretariat.He also announced successful completion of the process for the issuance of Certificate of Occupancy by the Lagos State government for the property on which the secretariat building of the branch sits.

Anifowoshe, who is the state’s Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, urged members to give the new leadership the needed support to record more outstanding feats.

Meanwhile, an expert in the built environment, Professor Kunle Ade Wahab, has lamented the negative effect of non-compliance to professional code, ethics and conduct by professionals in the built environment.

The former Special Adviser to the President on Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit (BMPIU) in his address titled: “ Business Ethics For Professionals in National Development “, urged town planners to ensure that ethics and code of conduct represent important aspect of their duties and responsibilities.

Stressing the importance of sustainability of standards of practice and public confidence in various professions in the built environment, he said the expectation is that all members of each profession in the industry whether they are employers or employees in the private sector, public sector and academics, should discharge their duties to their clients and the public at large in accordance with the ethical principles and provisions of the rules.

Prof Wahab, whose professional and academic interests cover Building, Building Surveying, Civil Engineering, Quantity Surveying and Construction Management noted that code of conduct of construction professionals is a fundamental characteristics of a professional body, whether for architects, builders, engineers, estate surveyors and valuers, land surveyors, quantity surveyors ad town planners,

For town planners and other professionals in the built environment to be relevance in the present economic challenges, he said, adoption, adherence and enforcement of professional code, ethics and conduct is central for the sustainability of standards.

According to him, ethics and code of conduct represent important aspects of the duties and responsibilities of individual member of the civil service or professional body.

In his inaugural address, the new Chairman, Salami Adekunle promised to advance the course of the body and ensure better habitable and sustainable environment through partnership with the public sector, organised private sectors and others.

He also promised to commence work on the new secretariat building as well as engage the legislature to ensure regular representations in re-shaping Lagos to be a befitting model megacity.