Anambra State Government has warned individuals and groups impersonating the state building regulatory body, the Anambra State Physical Planning Board, to desist forthwith or face the wrathful hands of the law.
The Chairman of the Physical Planning Board, Barrister Chike Maduekwe handed down the warning in an interview with journalists at the Board's Corporate Headquarters in Amawbia.
According to Barrister Maduekwe, he has been inaundated by a barrage of queries by government and private individuals that some people now move round the state, pasting demand notices and soliciting for money, thereby usurping the legal duty of the board.
Barrister Maduekwe alleged that the group even go as far as demanding money from people who have been given approvals with houses built, erroneously telling the public that they are now in charge of physical planning, building control and regulation.
Barrister Maduekwe warned that the State Governor, the police and the State House of Assembly will be alerted, to ensure enforcement of the law against those not working in the interest and development of the state.
Barrister Maduekwe, however, acknowledged that because of the challenges being experienced in the Board, they recently reached an understanding with relevant professional bodies including the Council For the Regulatory of Engineering In Nigeria, COREN for some kind of collaboration as a result of the activities of quacks, to ensure that the process of building control is sanitized.
He added that professional bodies are expected to work in tandem with the physical planning authority to get the building code, pointing out that going forward, such individuals will be sued for impersonation and aberation.
"We met with members of COREN, asking for some kind of understanding with them, to ensure that the engineers who come for permit applications, are engineers in practice that they know. And we felt it was okay.
"And for that they were to give their forms with ten thousand naira (N10,000) fixed price, which those Engineers must fill and we send it back to them, afterwhich they give endorsement that they know them.
"Suddenly, what we now see is that some people now go around to perhaps impersonate COREN.
"They now interfere with our working, demanding huge sums of money from unsuspecting members of public", Barrister Maduekwe stated.
"For the upteenth time, this is a warning to them; that the state cannot tolerate such short-changing.
"We have government regulated fees. They are cheating government. If they don't desist, we will bring them under the full embrace of the law.
"I heard that they have distributed over five hundred (500) forms in different buildings, including buildings that had got approvals in the past.
"I've reported the matter to COREN in the state. I'll take it up to federal level. They cannot take over the duties of a government regulatory body set up by law", he noted.
"I've spoken with the Chairman of the technical committee in Anambra who said he is not aware.
"You must work in tandem with the physical planning authority, to get the building code; even if you are going for inspections. You can't operate outside the law of the state. They will be sued for impersonation and running a criminal enterprise.
"Every professional body is set up by law and you must obey the law. What those people are doing is an aberation.
"I'll report to the Governor and House of Assembly. We will even report the matter to the police.
To the public, "anybody that pastes anything on your property, demanding money, report them to us and the police. They don't represent the government of Anambra State", concluded the Physical Planing Board boss.
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