From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
The Mayor of Housing, My-Ace China, has said government should be blamed for the incessant building collapse witnessed in the country.
China stated this while speaking on the challenges confronting housing sector at an event held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday.
The real estate expert noted the lacuna between practitioners and government agencies, which has made them (government and practitioners) appear as if they are rivals, instead of partners in advancing development of the sector.
He also identified the difficulties in getting relevant documents, separating quacks from professional estate practitioners and receiving incentives from government, as setbacks confronting the housing sector.
China said: “On problems found in the real estate sector, I can say it is the lacuna between practitioners and the government agencies. See Lagos, they are bringing down some buildings. Guess what? Institutions of government approved these buildings, inspected them, collected levies from them; but, they, now, come to demolish them.
“Other problems include difficulty in getting title documents, difficulty in separation of quacks from genuine ones. There is total lack of government incentive. When you come, instead of supporting us, they antoganise you. The first thing government needs to do is bring us closer. Instead, they create obstacles as if we are enemies.”
Speaking further, the Mayor of Housing said it is a misnomer to see government officials in the housing sector appoint non-professionals as advisers in an institution that requires expertise.
He continued: “I expect to see a government official that has a real estate practitioner as his adviser. They use those who do not know anything in our field. They come in and create problems by setting unreasonable huddles. By the time the investors overcome those obstacles, they no longer care about the ordinary people, but their profit.
“The space between politics and practice is too wide. The policies are not practical. When the practitioners climb that mountain, they no longer care about the people.”