60 NEWLY QUALIFIED ARCHITECTS INDUCTED
The Architects Registration Council (ARC), under the auspices of the Ministry of Works and Housing, has inducted 60 new Architects at the 18th induction ceremony at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in Accra.
Out of 96 candidates who registered for the examination, 60 candidates passed, representing 63 percent of the class. This compared to last year’s performance of 43 passes out of 94 candidates, which represents 46 percent.
Addressing the gathering, Hon. Eugene Boakye Antwi, Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, who graced the occasion as the special guest of honor said the construction industry alone contributes about 15 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and that the Ministry is taking steps to ensure a well-organized, effective and efficient construction sector that would offer its clients good value for money.
He acknowledged the role of Architects and other built environment professionals and underscored why architects must undergo specialized training as he puts it “professionally, an architect`s decision affects public safety, and thus an architect must undergo specialized training consisting of advance training and a practicum or internship for practical experience to earn a license to practice architecture”.
The Deputy Minister, who doubles as Member of Parliament, expressed worry about the way things are being done in the Building and Construction Industry saying “I hesitate to say that it seems things are not happening or being done the way they should be. Why, for instance should anyone knowingly design, approve, issue a building permit, supervise the construction of a building on a site not zoned for such a purpose and which is in the middle of a waterway or proposed road”.
He hinted that the National Building Code has been gazetted and its implementation will serve as a check on any negative development in the built industry.
Hon. Boakye Antwi, therefore charged the inductees to be guided by “professional ethics and the code of conduct” to deliver standards and services that depict the profession.
Hon. Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Senior Minister, in his address, tasked Architects to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the creation of the Ministry of Inner Cities and Zongo Development, to help address the infrastructural challenges in those areas. He said the Ghana Institute of Architects could propose pragmatic solutions for the delivery of the Inner Cities and Zongo’s mandate.
The Senior Minister, underscored the critical role of the ARC in the successful delivery of the Ghana Beyond Aid policy as well as the government`s infrastructural development agenda.
He challenged the inductees not to compromise professional standards and to think outside the box. The Senior Minister indicated that owing to the needs and fulfilling equality between the poor and the elites, the new Architects should find a way to provide services to those at the bottom as well.
The Registrar of the Council, Arc. Stella N.D Arthiabah, urged the inductees to deliver professional architectural services and contribute expert knowledge and skill to the development of a sustainable built environment in Ghana.