Ogun: Adhere strictly to ethics of practice or risk license revocation, NIES boss warns

From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

The Chairman of the Ogun State ranch of Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Wale Ojo, has called on members of the institute to adhere strictly to the international ethics and the country’s code of conduct of the profession or risk their licenses being revoked.

He equally charged the estate surveyors to always maintain integrity in their dealings in order not to tarnish the image of the professional body.

Ojo made the call in his address at the maiden edition of Kunle Olubode Lecture Series and Interactive Sessions entitled, ‘Integrity In Property Transaction: The Missing Link Between the Old and New Professionals’, held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

He noted that as population continues to grow and new cities evolve, the skills of estate surveyors and valuers would become necessary so as to maintain the values and integrity of the various asset classes sustainably.

Ojo hinted that various committees had been set up the Ogun NIEVS to look into issues of non-compliance with the ethics and standards of the professions, and apply sanctions accordingly on any erring member.

“If you are found wanting, there are penalties for such members. Even in this state, there are people who had been found wanting and they were made to suffer for breach of international ethics and codes of conduct, and that cut across every state in the federation

“People have been made to have their licenses revoked on the act of gross misconduct. When it comes to integrity, in Ogun, we have couple of professionals who are well trained. In the last two years I have been in the saddle, no issues have been brought before the panel and that suggests to me that everyone has been doing  his or her work according to the set rules”, the Ogun NIES chairman stated.

In his presentation, Gbenga Adeoye, an expert in management accounting, tasked the professional surveyors on the need to embrace integrity and eschew selfish interest in order to advance in their field and become more relevant.

“All of us should reconnect with the elders that have gone ahead and aske them what to do when we face certain situations. Basically we need to see how we can eliminate selfish interest, one of the things that conflict with integrity is selfish interest,” Adeoye said.