Architects and other professionals in the building industry have been urged to be champions of due process by actively participating in the enforcement of relevant regulation, including the Due Process Law as it relates to architecture and building engineering in Nigeria.

Giving the charge while speaking on due process implementation and the role of professionals in the construction industry in a forum in Port Harcourt, the chairman, Rivers State Public Procurement Board, Precious Omoku stated that the Due Process Law is an old law that is found in most countries of the world, from Ghana to the United Kingdom and United States.

He said the cause of many building collapse in Nigeria, and in Rivers State in particular is because of neglect of Due Process implementation, citing examples of some building collapse incidents in Moscow Road, GRA and the Sakwe Commercial School in the late 80s; all in Port Harcourt.

According to him, “when there is a collapsed structure, it is either deaths are recorded or people get severely injured. Which ever it is, I can’t exonerate ourselves from blame in the unfolding development. We have abdicated our roles.”

Further more, Omoku said “If you fail as professionals in the building sector to make your input at the concept phase …you have failed in contributing to the decision making process. That makes it difficult for you to have an organic link between decision making and implementation.”

“Whether in specifying what a single house should look like or how our towns and cities should be; or to have tree-lined sidewalks and preserve some of the exotic native trees in our society design, Architects and other professionals must have their views represented at the table,” the procurement boss stated.

Omuku therefore urged professionals to ensue that facilities built in Nigeria should be of standard and quality that fit the need of the country.

Corlins Walter