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PROPERTY NEWS
Quantity surveyors stall exams as chapters wade into crisis
By Chinedu Uwaegbulam
Published:Guardian, 7th September 2009
IT's not yet uhuru for the quantity surveyors who after their national conference last year have been on dagger drawn among themselves in their quest to correct an alleged anomaly in the election process on one side and adhere to status quo in promoting good leadership on the other hand.
A group of members of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) had throw spanners in the works after the 23rd Biennial Conference/ yearly general meeting and election of the 2008/2020 national executive council members halting the swearing in of the newly elected national officers.
In a twist of event, about seven chapters from Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Enugu, Niger and Gombe of the institute are proffering solutions to the crisis, urging restraint among the parties. Among their submissions are that the constitution must be used as a guide in the resolution of the crisis and that the 2008/2010 NEC members as elected in Kaduna should be allowed to perform their constitutional duties.
In a document endorsed by chapter chairmen, comprising Jide Oke (Lagos), A.A. Adedipe (Ondo), Kola Adeyemo (Osun), Bola Babalola (Oyo), Nath Agu (Enugu), Usman Abdullahi Alkali (Niger) and Mallam Abubakar Alkali (Gombe).
Others are as follows:
- that thence should put in place a proper and befitting administrative structure fir the effective running of the national secretariat;
- that the elected council should co-opt two members ad required by the constitution but essentially the aggrieved groups;
- that NEC should set up a constitution review committee with will aggregate all issues canvassed so far for the future development of the institute and profession; and,
- the NEC should in the interim set up an ad-hoc committee (NEC Advisory Committee) with members nominated by the national Policy Committee.
Trouble started in March this year, when 10 members of the institute had obtained an interim injunction at a Lagos High Court presided by Justice K.O. Alogba through their lawyer, Roland Aturu, of Otaru, Otaru & Co restraining the NIQS President, Mr. Felix Okereke-Onyeri, the first defendant from appointing or swearing in any of the elected officers who are defendants into offices such as chairman/member NIQS professional examination board, NIOQS professional examination moderators, zonal coordinators of the NIQS professional examinations and NIQS examiners or parading themselves as national officers pending the final determination of the Motion on Notice.
Other defendants are S.I.J. Onwusonye, Mr. U. Inyang Udoji, Prof. D.R. Ogunsemi, R. S. Tsema Titie, Dr. Mee-Edoye Andawei, Mr. Henry Onukwube, Mr. A. Onaro, Mr. D.E. Enechukwu, Mr. Joe Abdulimhen, Mr. Adana Aliyu, Dr. K.T Odusami and Mr. G.U. Ogbonna. Others are Prof. T.C. Mogbo, Mr. Tite Speaker, Mr. K.K. Wachukwu, Mr. C.H .O. Ofong, Mr. Aderemi Muraina, Mr. Bashiru Ahmed and Mr. Martins Akumazi and seven others.
In June, another suit was instituted by two members of the body, Messrs Mallam A.Y.A. Alhassan and Mr. Tsema Tite, who also obtained an interim injunction the High Court of Justice in Kaduna Judicial Division restraining nine of the defendants, Mr. Francis Adetola, Mr. A.J Alufohai, Mr. Joshua Abiodun Bamdue, Mr. Olawole Adebola, Mr. M.D. Danladi, Mr. Abafemi Onashile, Mrs. O.A. Momodu and T.R. Fadason who are defendants either by themselves or through their servants or agents from parading, acting or otherwise holding out themselves as members of the national Executive Council of the NIQS pending the hearing and determination of the substantial suit.
The court also granted an order restraining the second defendant, Okereke-Onyeri being the president of the institute from swearing in or inaugurating the 3rd- 10th defendants as, members of the NEC pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit. The 1st defendant defendants were the incorporated trustees of the NIQS. Justice Hannatu A.L. Balogun fixed 3rd day of July for oral arguments.
Consequently, Okereke-Onyeri ordered the postponement of the institute's 2009 professional examinations, scheduled for July and return of examination materials, saying "all person persons with any examination materials belonging to the institute are hereby directed to return them to the institute secretariat immediately without delay as any continuous possession of such materials will amount to disobedience of the above court order and similar orders as such may attract the consequence of contempt of the court."
However, a statement by the NIQS's Secretary, marketing and corporate Affairs, Mr. Akinpelu Adewunmi said that the NEC of the institute has reviewed the recent publications of Okereke-Onyeri and noted that the professional examinations of the institute was never and issue before the Kaduna Court and "Chief Okereke-Onyeri has through this ruling unfairly introduced politics and acrimony into the matter of examinations not minding the interest and future of the intending candidates.
"Whereas all, all attempts to persuade him since February 2009 not to stall this year's examinations appeared not to have influenced his methods of approach to issues."
NEC apologised to the parties involved in the abortive examinations and "after the order, feels most responsible constrained to protect the integrity and sanctity of the institute's examinations with the need to safeguard the future and the life of its candidates against threats."
The examinations were later shifted to August 18 and 20, 2009, but in new twist of events, the exam was cancelled again.
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