Fadekemi Ajakaiye
The Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) last week commenced a multi-million Naira project that will be known as ARCON House, Abuja.
The council’s Lagos office is still under massive renovation is about 60 per cent completed.
Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, who performed the ground-breaking and foundation laying ceremony of the historical project in Abuja, expressed delight over the stride of the ARCON council, led by Arc (Sir) Dipo Ajayi.
He said the project would not have come to fruition, if major stakeholders in the architectural family did not decide to work together.
He urged Nigerians to learn from the architects on how they have been able to manage their differences and forged ahead to pursue a common goal of having a befitting edifice of their own.
“This is much better place for the architectural family to be than where you were three years ago. Three years ago, when this council took over, it was buffeted with many crises but this council has been able to manage and resolved many of those issues for the benefit of all and the unborn generation.
“We all can only learn from the architects that, despite our differences, we can still forge a common front of building than tearing apart. To do this, we need to tolerate and listen to one, another.
“From what I have seen so far, ARCON has shown that example and I will say I am really impressed with this achievement. As Nigerians, we should strive and encourage one, another to build,” Fashola charged.
ARCON’s president, Arc. (Sir) Dipo Ajayi, who thanked Fashola for his interventions and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Muhammad Bello for the allocation of the landed property, said the new edifice will explore and adopt green technology and building automation that is pocket friendly.
According to him, the quest to own a house ascribed to the architects in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, became more compelling when in 2018, he knew the sums of money being paid to the council’s landlord. He revealed that, as a developer, he knew that the building of a house could be accommodated within the frame work of commitment and strong desire to do so, backed by God-given talents.
“So, the successes we have achieved as a group could not have come without the peace and harmony we enjoy today within the family. We must congratulate ourselves for this and expect more from one another to maintain the stability attained so far”, Ajayi has said.
In his goodwill message, Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State, an architect, who supported the project with N10 million, pledged unwavering backing to the architectural family and the project.
Justus Okah-Avae, Chairman, Board of Trustees, The Association of Nigerian Chartered Architects (ANCA), said that the ground breaking ceremony was a testimony of the doggedness of a set of professionals who have been trying to make omelette not out of egg but out of nothing.
Okah-Avae, noted that, the current ARCON council has not only built on what it met but has braved all odds and distractions to excel.
Registrar, Arc. Umar Murnai, in his vote of thanks, said that the foundation laying ceremony was a critical milestone in the life of ARCON.
He added that, the step taking by the council was not only to maintain its presence in the Federal Capital, it was also telling the architects in Nigeria that they have a point where they can congregate as a family. Therefore, this is a heart – warming occasion, he said.
