PROPERTY ARTICLES

An appeal has gone to the Lagos State government to ensure that more Physical Development Inspectors (PDIs) are employed to monitor on-going construction works in the state.

Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Mr. Kunle Awobodu, who dropped the hint last week, stated that now was the time to ensure that more PDIs were employed in order to check the activities of quacks that have perfected the act of using sub-standard building materials for construction.

Awobodu was of the opinion that, with the involvement of more PDIs to monitor on-going development, the incidence of collapses would be greatly reduced. He pointed out that the use of sub-standard building materials by some developers was seriously affecting the production of quality jobs.

The NIOB helmsman stressed the importance of involving professional builders in the scheme of development, noting that over the years the clamour to have builders on site had been given little priority.

Awobodu warned that unless professional builders and other professionals in the built environment were given recognition in matters affecting construction, collapses would continue to occur.

He commended the state governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, for efforts aimed at addressing the incidence of building collapse but lamented the delay in releasing the White Paper on the recommendations of the Technical Committee on Physical Planning.