Use professionals in building – CIOB President

The President of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Ghana Centre, Mr Rockson Dogbegah, has advised the public to engage the services of appropriate professionals in the building process.

He said the use of unqualified professionals and tradesmen in designing and constructing buildings posed serious security, health and safety risk to life and property.

Mr Dogbegah said despite the perception that the use of professionals is expensive, they are needed to ensure that the buildings were constructed to stand the test of time.

“For a Building that could stand the test of time, one needs the inputs of Construction Managers, Project Managers, Architects, Quantity Surveyors, Estimators, Engineers, Planners and not only the Trades Men,” he said.

He was speaking at the first ever Built Environment Clinic in Accra on the theme “Live Right, Build Right, Live Well,” organized by the Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE) in collaboration with the Ghana Institution of Surveyors, the Ghana Institute of Architects and the Ghana Institute of Planners and the Chartered Institute of Building, Ghana Centre.

Built Environment professionals as well as Queen-mothers and market men and women in and around the Rawlings Park attended the forum.

Mr Dogbegah called on the Built Environment Professionals to make their presence felt by being more visible, saying while people sometimes have money to spend on hiring the right professionals they were unable to readily find one.

Besides, research institutions like the Building and Road Research Institute ( BRRI) must also research into sustainable building solutions.

He reiterated the need for government to support the call for a Construction Industry Development Authority, which will be a one stop shop in coordinating all the efforts of the Built Environment and will provide the environment for sustainable growth and development.

He described the clinic as a start of a revolution that will set the tone for the Built Environment Professional Institutions and Associations in taking full control of the construction industry

It also sets the stage to inform government and stakeholders about the preparedness of the players in the Built Environment to partner to solve the multiplicity of problems that are confronting the construction industry.

Some of the challenges include inadequate regulatory environment and monitoring mechanisms and systems, limited resources to sanitize the construction industry, culture of "cutting corners" which is fueled by our selfish interest and bribery and corruption.

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) is an International Professional Institution at the heart of management careers in construction. It is the international voice of the construction industry.

CIOB's mission is to contribute to a modern, progressive and responsible construction industry, meeting the economic environment and social challenges of a global society.