Thesis Abstract

          ABSTRACT 

Monetization policy of the Federal Government was borne out of waste and and corruption being experienced from improper management of publicly owned property. The ownership and subsequent management of such landed property were transferred to private individuals. However, due to expedient reasons certain categories of these government properties are still being held and managed by public estate officers of which the residential quarters and main offices of National Industrial Court are included. This paper explores the problems of public property management which span from corruption, nepotism in awarding repair contracts to bureaucratic bottleneck involves in carry out some of the simple job of property management. The research adopts distribution of questionnaires to the stakeholders and use simple descriptive analysis in identifying the solutions to the problems aforementioned. KEYWORDS Public Property, Property Management, National Industrial Court, Estate Surveyors and Valuers

Thesis Overview

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The management of real estate property is a challenging task for an estate surveyor and valuer. The management of public real estate assets particularly poses unique form of problems ranging from over inflation of invoices, corruption, nepotism, and awarding of contract works to contractors not knowledgeable about the jobs to be carried out. This array of issues and others, calls for monetization policy of the Federal Government, where all government properties are transferred to the private entities few years ago. The few exempted property from this government policies includes; residences occupied by Judiciary, Federal Government Secretariat, Schools, Staff quarters of institutions of learning etc. The in-house professional Estates Surveyors are saddled with the responsibilities of managing such properties. However, despite the monitoring organizations put in place to check corruptions or waste in public services, these problems bedeviling government real estate property management still persist. It is against this backdrop that this research work aims at unravel this multitude of problems and proffer solutions with the National Industrial Courts of Nigeria, Abuja as a case study. 

1.1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY AREA

The National Industrial Court is a judicial institution established in 1976; vide the Trade Dispute Act (TDA) Cap 432, Law of the Federation (LFN) 2004. The court became functional in 1978. The court has all the powers of a high court in performing adjudicatory and mediatory functions. The court consists of the president of the court and such number of judges as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly. The National Industrial Court of Nigeria is empowered to hear and resolves all disputes relating to or connected with; 

a. Employers and employees relationship 

b. Environment, conditions or terms of work 

c. Health of workers d. Safety in work place 

e. Welfare of labour, employee and workers 

f. All enactments relating to labour, employment, industrial relations and workplace. 

g. Strike, lock out, industrial actions etc.

h. Applications of human rights 

i. Minimum wage 

j. Unfair labour practices 

k. Discrimination or sexual harassment at workplace 

l. International labour standard 

m. Child labour, child abuse, human trafficking etc. 

n. Collective agreement, contribution award, trade union. 

o. Salaries, wages, pension, gratuities, allowances, entitlements etc.

 Addresses of Judicial Divisions of the National Industrial Courts Abuja: 

No. 10, PortHarcourt Crescent, off Gimbiya Street, Area II Garki Abuja FCT. Lagos: No. 31Lugard Crescent, Ikoyi Lagos. Enugu: No. 6, Aguleri Street, Independence Layout, Enugu. Kano: Plot 381, New Court Road Gyadi-Gyadi, Kano Maiduguri: Sir Kashim Ibrahim Road, Maiduguri, Borno state Jos: No 34A, Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Jos, Plateau state. Ibadan: Court Road, opposite Federal High Court, off Adeoyo-Ring Road Iyaganku GRA Ibadan, Oyo state. Calabar: 6B Akin close, State Housing Estate Calabar, Cross River state. Sokoto: Along Gusau Road, Sokoto, Sokoto state. Yola: Kashim Ibrahim way, Yola, Adamawa state. Akure: Alagbaka Estate, Along Igbaturu Road, GRA Akure, Ondo State. Makurdi: Former NACB Quarters, Along Aliade Road, Markurdi, Benue state.