The National Chairman, Surveyors’ Vanguard, Nigeria, Mr Emmanuel Evbuomwan, has urged governments to ensure due process and town planning regulations are adhered to in the construction of any building.

Evbuomwan blamed the collapse of the 21-storey-building in Ikoyi Lagos which killed scores of people earlier in the month on neglect of breach of due process, and the use of non-professionals by developers in a bid to reduce cost.

The surveyor spoke during the 2021 Surveyors Vanguard Summit with the theme, ‘Achieving healthy professionalism: A reappraisal and way forward in Geomatics’, which held in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital on Tuesday.

He spoke as the report of the six-member committee set up by the Lagos State Government to probe the building collapse is being awaited.

While saying the summit was meant to examine the profession and how to give more improved quality service to the public, the national chairman said, “Although we have fared well, but there is room for improvement. Quacks and unqualified people parading themselves as surveyors have been giving bad names to surveyors.”

He called for use of right professionals, saying, “My word for government is that they should allow due process to take place. Any developer that wants to develop should ensure they don’t make use of influence to cut corners. They should comply with town planning regulations and ensure that approval processes are followed to the letter.