Fashola: Minister works, power and housing.

The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Lagos Chapter, on Friday decried the increased rate of job encroachment among professionals and operators in the building industry.

Mr Adebisi Adedire, Chairman of the chapter, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that there was little or no cooperation among the players in the industry.

Adedire said that there was need for mutual relationship and cooperation among operators in the building industry to save integrity of the profession and enhance quality of their service delivery.

According to him, cooperation among the operators and agencies in the industry is necessary, because it will help to eliminate quackery, greediness, envy and self-centred attitude which bring about encroachment.

Adedire said that the building sector was vast enough to accommodate all the professionals therein to freely operate without encroaching on each other’s area of job description.

“There is enough room for us to operate in the industry. Therefore, encroachment should be discouraged by the operators, so as to maintain mutual respect, trust and unity in the built environment.

“We should value each other’s core competencies within the industry, rather than veering into other professionals’ areas,” he said.

The NITP chairman said that job encroachment existed in the industry because the operators no longer regard or value the ethics, codes and conducts of the profession.

“Ethics and moral standards of the building construction industry need to be respected.

“Also, different professional bodies in the industry must constantly remind members of the codes and ethics governing practice of the profession at all times.

“Because one bad apple in the basket can spoil the entire collection. Hence, sanction grids should be in place to serve as deterrence,” he said.

The NITP chairman noted that some government agencies had taken over the jobs of the town planners without involving the town planners who were professionally trained for such jobs.

He, however, said the institute currently collaborates with the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) to ensure that town planners were involved in issues/projects relating to their professions.