View of Marina, Lagos. Photo, Dayo Ayeyemi
Settlement experts, under the auspices of the
Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), and
Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON), have been directed not to partake in the preparation of the on going N300million comprehensive infrastructure master plan for Lekki sub-region.
The decision of the associations came barely a week after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Lagos State Government and Messrs Dar Al-Handasah Consultant, to show their displeasure over the award of the project to an Israeli firm despite large numbers of registered town planning consulting firms in the country.
In a joint press conference addressed by the Presidents of the associations, Alhaji Waheed Kadiri and Dr. Femi Olomola respectively, they pointed out that Lagos state government was unfair to Nigerian professionals and town planning consultants for not allowing them to compete for the Lekki master plan project, which is one of the core areas of their profession. As parts of the decisions to register their grievance, the two bodies directed their members saying, “ No member of both bodies except those in the employment of Lagos State Government should have anything to do by way of fieldwork, appraisal/evaluation of report, public participation in any form whatsoever etc., with Lekki Master plan.”
Justifying their decisions, they stated that government did not give room for competition and due process; and that there was a total disregard for the law of the land before awarding the contract to Dar-Al-Handasah. They said, “Where in this transaction are transparency, accountability and due process? Where is good governance when a government democratically elected is not interested in capacity building of its professionals? When and how shall Nigerian professional develop when its own government impoverishes them with their actions/inactions?”
By law, they stated that only firms registered by the Town Planning Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC), were entitled to practice the profession in Nigeria, pointing out that Al-Dan Handasah was not in the lists of membership of registered town planning firm and practitioners in Nigeria. TOPREC is the body established by Decree 3 0f 1988 (Cap 431, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria) to regulate and control the practice of the profession of urban and regional planning in all its aspects and ramification. ATOPCON, in collaboration with NITP and TOPREC co-ordinate and administer the consultancy arm of the profession.
In view of this, the presidents of NITP and ATOPCON considered the award of the project to a foreign firm as an affront to the profession of town planning, emphasizing that there was enough capacity among indigenous firms to execute the project having undertaken projects of such magnitude in the past.
“There are over 1,500 registered town planners in Nigeria and about 99 registered town planning consultancy firms. What we are saying is that they all deserve to earn a good living through thier expertise,” they stated. Terms of reference of the project include, the updating the land use master plan of the project area, formulating a set of environmental planning guidelines, preparing a solid waste management master plan, review of the previously prepared water transport master plan, preparing a master plan for the power-water supply system, preparing a conceptual layout for the road network, preparing a landscape design and landscape irrigation system, preparing conceptual plans and typical sections for the upgrading and expansion of the existing lo cal roads and the proposed coastal road; and, review of the current tourism plan.
According to the duo, government has no sufficient grounds to say that no indigenous firms could handle the project, mentioning past projects where the expertise of Nigerian professionals was used in the past and that they did not fail to deliver.
They stated that more than 40 Nigerian firms bided during the preparation of the Phase 111 of the implementation of the Abuja Master Plan, and tha registered town planning firms were awarded the contracts for the preparation of the detailed site development plans and preliminary engineering designs for four residential district, two sector centers and one industrial area, saying the projects were perfectly executed.
Kadiri and Olomola also cited the case of the collapsed building belonging to the Bank of Industry, pointing out those Nigerian professionals comprising the town planners who were members of the committee set up by the Lagos State Government committee worked tirelessly to attain the objective given to its Term of Reference. Kadiri canvassed that Nigerian consultants should be given the chance to develop so as to play actively in the global market and attract foreign exchange of the country.
The stated that the call for the enhancement of local content in all government projects would not be achieved if indigenous firms were not allow to compete in government projects. Besides, he said that it was through the enhancement of local content Nigerians could meet international standards and be active players in a globalized economy at the same time helping to discourage capital flight.
