In a bid to ensure that high costs of government projects are reduced, the federal government has urged the quantity surveyors’ board to work closely with anti-graft agencies to curb menace of corruption in the construction industry.
Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, who made the call at the 2018 Annual Assembly of Registered Quantity Surveyors and induction of newly registered quantity surveyors and practising firms, expressed concerns over rising incidence of corrupt practices in the sector. He said: “I urge your board to work closely with anti-corruption agencies such as the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the Economic and Financial Commission, EFCC, amongst others to tame menace of corruption in the construction industry. Fashola observed that the Federal Government is waging a fierce war against corruption in all aspects of our national life and will always encourage and partner with bodies such as the QSRBN.” SRBN.”
According to him, “To win this battle, i therefore, encourage you to continue to put the fight against corruption in the front burner of your activities until desired milestone of success is met.” Fashola who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mohammad Bukar, noted that ethics is a major challenge to professionalism in Nigeria adding that in regulating the profession, the Quantity Registration Board of Nigeria, QSRBN, should strive to maintain the highest standard of professional ethics among Quantity Surveyors.
“The Board must not hesitate to blacklist any quantity surveyor found wanting in this regard. Another area deserving urgent attention of your Board is the menace posed by activities of quacks. “Quacks inflict much damage on the economy. They are not qualified and are unregistered. They do not subscribe to any professional ethics and codes of conduct, hence their unscrupulous activities. “Construction project costing and estimation is of course in the domain of quantity surveyors.
It is therefore, illegal for any person not so trained and registered by the Board to offer such professional services to government either for remuneration or otherwise.
