Fashola Warns Architects Committee against Overstepping Statutory Limits

*Cancels planned colloquium billed to commence today

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), yesterday warned the management committee of the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON), to desists from carrying out functions outside its official remit.

To that end, the minister in a statement signed on his behalf by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Bashir Alkali, directed the transition committee to withdraw its  plan to conduct the Architects Professional Competency Evaluation (APCE) exercise.

The minister insisted that the committee was created by law to undertake “routine” management of the ARCON upon expiration of tenure of its statutory council and pending the constitution of a new council.

Fashola instructed the organisation to refrain forthwith from all activities which constitute statutory functions of the council as enumerated in Section 2 (1) (a- c) of the Act until a new properly constituted council is in place.

In addition, he demanded that the committee can only oversee the routine administrative management of the council until a new properly constituted council is in place.

Furthermore, the minister urged the committee to retract  a recent statement in the advert on the APCE and urged the members to intensify efforts to reconcile the warring factions to embrace dialogue in resolving issues leading to the stagnation of the profession.

He urged them to ensure that the issues that led to the litigation that created the current impasse are speedily and amicably resolved in the best interest of the architecture profession and the country.

He explained that in spite of presidential approval for the inauguration of a new council, it has not been possible to inaugurate the council as a result of litigation instituted by members of the architecture profession seeking to stop the inauguration.

“In the face of this self-induced stalemate, the management committee is purporting to exercise powers which only a full committee is permitted by law to exercise.

“Such conducts are clearly not only in violation of their enabling statute but could also attract criminal sanctions. These activities include:  a plan to organise the 2022 colloquium for architects in Nigeria from Monday 23rd–Thursday 26th May, 2022.

“ It also includes a plan to undertake Architects Professional Competency Evaluation (APCE) exercise. These are core functions of the ARCON and not that of the management committee.

“In order to forestall any breach of law and guide the management committee of the ARCON, the stakeholders, and members of public appropriately, it is pertinent to make the following clarifications in line with the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria Act (Cap A19 Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004),” he added.

Under the law, Fashola stated that only the council can undertake these functions when there is a quorum of the membership and not a committee.