Government at all levels have been enjoined to engage professional planners to salvage the poor architectural face of cities and towns in the country inorder to facilitate developmental plans of the government.

The National President, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, and a former Commissioner, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Lagos State, Town Planner Olutoyin Ayinde, who made the call on Thursday in Umuahia, during a meeting with the Town Planners, Abia State Chapter, noted that without accurate planning, cities and towns in Nigeria will not achieve the desired development the citizenry yearn for.

Addressing newsmen at the event, Ayinde said approval of buildings falls under the duty of a town planner because building plans are supposed to be within the framework of development plans for any settlement, stressing that Umuahia should have a perfect master plan, frowning that in areas where there are no accurate plan, Town Planners are not to be blamed.

He noted that government has the prerogative of preparing plans that will make cities and towns perfect, reiterating that government dictates the pace of cities' growth maintaining that where government has not articulated and implemented public housing policy which will be properly executed by a Town Planner, the people are left to embark on plans that will suit their needs, revealing that this has given rise to the poor planning of cities.

Mr Ayinde called on the Abia State government to implement the law passed in the state House of Assembly which should give urban planning it's proper place, saying that if implemented, government will fund developmental plans thereby making the cities enjoyable and sustainable just as he beckoned on government to give town planners tools to work with.

He tasked members of the profession in Abia State to be professional in what they do and collaborate with government, stressing that professionalism thrives on cohesion and collaboration.

He harped on the need to diversify the profession by exploring other grey areas while expressing delight in the Young Planners Forum, Abia Chapter, reminding them that conversation is key to their success.

Also speaking, the Chairman. Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, Abia State Chapter, Town Planner, Kingsley Madumere who used the opportunity to correct the misconception that the sign "X" as seen on some ongoing building projects means demolition, said the sign could be for the builder to visit the Town Planning authorities ensuing from an error spotted in the building among others.

He added that building collapses are not always the fault of Town Planners but developers, pointing out that buildings do not collapse on paper rather on ground as any compromise by the site engineer can cause it, submitting that Town Planners cannot be monitoring all projects at once due to paucity of personnel.

On his part, the immediate past Chairman, Institute of Town Planners, Abia State, Chapter, Town Planner Dr. Nelson Nwaosu, said the benefits of town planning are enormous, advising developers to give their building plans to relevant authorities before they commence building not just houses but other projects that involve a Town Planner.

Contributing, the Public Relations Officer, Institute of Town Planners, Abia State Chapter, Town Planner, Stephen Nwazue, who appreciated the National President, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, for visiting Abia, called for the right information to be dished out to society concerning Town Planners, emphasizing that building collapses have always been blamed on Town Planners whereas they do the paper work and hand down to the developers for execution.

Earlier in her vote of thanks, Town Planner Faith Eze, Chairperson, Association of Women Town Planners, Abia State, chapter, thanked the National President, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners for speaking to them, calling for close collaboration by all just as she pledged they will execute all they have been exposed to.