Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) has said that security challenges, especially banditry has been a major threat to its operations in the country.
The institution’s president, Mr Johnbull Amayaevbo stated this while speaking in Kaduna at the weekend, during the annual general meeting of the Kaduna branch.
Represented by the second vice president, Ali Mohammed, he said security challenges have affected their practice seriously, as many of the occupants of the property they manage have been affected by banditry and in most cases, they have vacated the properties.
He therefore called on the state and federal government to be more pragmatic in the fight against insecurity, to ensure a secured and prosperous economy.
Speaking earlier, Kaduna State branch chairman, Abdulkareem Sule Obaito said other challenges confronting the institution border on the economy and lack of patronage by the government.
According to him, “We are affected by economy in the sense that, our jobs deals with real estate and when economy is not booming, real estate investment does not thrive. That is our biggest challenge; no job, no government projects, individuals like private developers that are supposed to invest in real estate are not there.
“The fight against economic crimes also has a way of affecting the real estate market. Even people that have their clean money are scared of investing in real estate, everyone is scared of EFCC.
“Another challenge is that, Kaduna State government does not patronise we the professionals and this is really affecting us. Because if the economy is down, you don’t have private investors patronage and the government is also not patronising you, then it becomes a problem because you have taxes to pay and bills to cover.
“We are calling on the state government under the leadership of Governor Nasir El-Rufai who is equally a professional Quantity Surveyor, to patronise professionals or consult us in the government’s projects. He is doing very well, but he will do better if he engages the professionals.”
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