BY NONYELUM JULIET EKWENUGO
Kaduna
The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Kaduna State branch have raised the alarm on the invasion of the real estate industry by quacks masquerading as surveyors and general property managers.
The Executive Chairman of the branch, ESV Ambrose Chigozie Okofu raised the alarm on Thursday during a courtesy visit to the Commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Justice.
According to ESV Okofu, quacks now introduces themselves as professional Estate Surveyors and trained property managers in the Court.
He said, “It is worrisome and disturbing that quacks now introduces themselves as professional Estate Surveyors and trained property managers in the Court. This has lead to a lot of fictitious claims and delay in civil justice as majority of them does not even know the court process. Many property owners and Tenants has also wasted their resources in pursuing such matters in the court”.
He noted that Probation Valuation which is one of their core profession is been neglected by the court.
“Probation Valuation is one of our core profession which has been neglected by the courts, non-professionally prepared valuation reports are now accepted and admissible in the law court without recourse to the standard and status of the author whether he or she is a qualified and registered member of the profession as specified by the Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON) Act or Decree No. 24 of 1975, now CAP E. 13 LFN 2004.
“This legislation established Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON) as the regulatory body for the profession”.
He however, said that any purported valuation report without ESVARBON customized adhensive stamp is fake and should not be admissible in the law courts.
He appealed that, any property or Rent Matter that should be before the Honorable Courts in Kaduna State should include but not limited to affixing of their adhensive stamp and possibly a photocopy of certificate of such an applicant just as Lawyers, Architects and Engineers do when presenting any legal documents, he said.
The Surveyors urged the Ministry of Justice to always carry out Auctioneering Valuation before assets disposals to the general public, adding that it will enhance transparency and accountability.
“We also request for engagement and employment of our members and placing them at various strategic positions with adequate qualifications as FNIVS, ANIVS and RSVs to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry and for enhancement of professionalism in planning and execution of Land policies”.
Responding, the Kaduna State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Sule Shu’aibu promised to partner with NIESV to ensure quacks are eliminated.
He said, “I am with you, we should find a way of dealing with these quacks. We will give you full backing”.
According to him, he inherited more than 1,000 land cases from the previous administration, but a lot of the cases has been settled.
“Our administration have not done any demolition since we came on board”.
“Since we came on board, I discovered that security agencies upon concluding their investigation, when they send report to the ministry, the files will be lying low. Nobody gets to attend to them accept where there are cases of interest, topical cases of interest these are the ones you see ministry bringing out advice, but when I came, I said is not going to be business as usual. I invited all the directors and we sat down and agreed among ourselves that whenever a case diary which investigation activities is concluded and send to us, we will not take 7 days maximum without rendering our advice”.
“We have been doing our best, to see how we will meet up with goals and objectives of the ministry. I want to assure you of our maximum cooperation”.
