Practitioners oppose bill to establish auctioneers registration council

Auctioneering practitioners have kicked against a bill seeking to establish the auctioneers registration council of Nigeria.

The bill, which passed the first reading on Wednesday, was sponsored by Francis Waive, chairman of the house committee on rules and business.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the auctioneers said the issue of licensing is “already taken care of” by each state and there is no need to introduce another licensing body. 

The statement was signed by Hillary Nwaukor, chief auctioneer at I-Naira.com; Adeleke Hassan, Registrar/CEO, Certified Institute of Auctioneers Nigeria (CIAN); and Jogunola Onabanjo, president United Auction House.

The practitioners said if passed, the bill would lead to double registration, “killing” professionalism in the sector.

The bill surfaced in the ninth assembly but met a brick wall and didn’t pass through legislative hurdles.

Instead, the practitioners asked the lawmakers to expedite action and pass the bill seeking to establish the Chartered Institute of Auctioneers of Nigeria (CIAN), which has passed second reading.

The Chartered Institute of Auctioneers of Nigeria bill has been in the national assembly since 2013. It passed third reading twice — in the 8th and 9th assemblies — but wasn’t signed into law.

“We wish to observe that the new Auctioneers Registration Council bill (HB 1508) will lead to a double licensing arrangement which makes Auctioneers to be licensed at both the federal and state levels thereby killing the profession and stifling the development of the profession across the country,” the statement reads.

“After all, there is nowhere in the world where licensing of Auctioneers is done both at the Federal and State levels. Presently, the Lagos State has its own Auction laws which prescribe licensing fees; Kwara State Auction laws, Rivers State Auction laws, Ogun State Auction laws, Auctioneers laws Cap. 10 of Northern Nigeria, Kaduna State mortgage and foreclosure laws exist at state levels across the country.

“The issue of licensing of Auctioneers has already been taken care of by each state and there shouldn’t be any need of introducing another licensing body as presently being tabled before the Federal House of Representatives.

“Economic and Auction Experts have noted that the proposed bill HB 1508 conflicts with the provisions of the earlier CIAN bill (HB 1046 ) which was already passed in the eighth and ninth Assemblies, respectively.”

The practitioners said the bill to establish the Chartered Institute of Auctioneers of Nigeria is aimed at promoting professionalism, regulation and control of auctioneers’ body of skills and knowledge required for the profession.

“The Institute in its efforts to develop and deepen the practice of Auctioneers in Nigeria already collaborates with State Governments and higher institutions in the training and certification of Auctioneers across the country,” auctioneers said.

“The Institute averred that Auction business in Nigeria is on the Concurrent List of the Nigerian Constitution just like what is obtainable in the United States of America where federalism is entrenched and each State has auction laws regulating auction business in their respective jurisdictions which is the best practice anywhere in the world where the concept of federalism is adopted as a form of government.

“Already, some States and Local Government Areas across Nigeria issue Auctioneers licenses with reciprocal recognition therefore, there is no legal rationale for the introduction of a bill for federal licensing of Auctioneers anymore.”

The practitioners asked the national assembly to step down the auctioneers registration council bill “because of its contradictions, unusefulness and irrelevance to the growth of auction industry” in Nigeria.