Institute Blames Quackery For Building Industry’s Woes

The Nigerian Institute of Builders (NIOB), Rivers State branch, has said that the high level of quackery in the building industry, is responsible for the failure  recorded in the sector.

NIOB said that the issue of quacks among the professions in the building industry has given room for a number of failures such as building collapse and poor presentations of structures across the country.

Builders who made their views known through their representative, Ugo Uhabunwa at a breakfast meet which professionals in building industry had with the commissioner for housing in Rivers State, Mr. Marshall Uwom, recently in Port Harcourt. He noted that there was a conglomerate of quacks amongs the professionals in the built community.

Uhabunwa, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a structural engineering outfit, posited that quackery does not only exist when one is not professionally trained in the building industry, but that when an architect or quantity surveyor begins to do the work of an engineer or town planner, the follow becomes a quack in that area.

He said that government alone can not provide all the housing stock required, but that it can provide the enabling environment for things to develop easily. He urged the housing commissioner to help and stream line the sector in the state.

The NIOB representative also tasked the state government to urgently look into the issue of social housing/low cost housing and take the bull by the horn, so as to address the acute demand and shortage of housing in the state.

“A builder is not a contractor, but a contractor can also be a builder. The builder is one who ensures that the input of other professionals in the industry in the actualisation of building is carried out without mistake, but the contractor is there to make profit” the NIOB representative stated.

Corlins Walter