Follow Us on Google
From Abel Leonard, Lafia
Surveyor Council of Nigeria has threatened to sanction registered surveyors caught encouraging quackery in the profession.
Surv. Mohammed Kabir, Registrar of the council stated this on Sunday in Lafia at the inauguration of the elected officials of Nasarawa State Chapter of Nigerian Institution of Surveyors.
According to him any registered surveyor found affixing his or her stamp and seal to unregistered members who are operating illegally would be sanction in line with the existing law.
He explained that even if a person has PhD but, did not register and licensed by the council to practice, the person is a quack.
Adding that anybody interested in the profession should follow due process of registration instead of operating illegally.
He said the profession is very flexible and accommodates every interested person irrespective of his academic qualification.
“Even if an interested person only has Senior Secondary Schools Certificate, the council has various professional examinations that once the person passes it, he is qualified to practice,” the Registrar added.
The Registrar also used the occasion and called on the Nasarawa State Government to enact a law to establish the office of the Surveyor-General with the necessary powers and independence.
He noted that the federal government has created the office of the Surveyor-General since 2005 therefore, all states of the federation should also establish it in line with global best practices and the law.
Similarly, Dr David Oluwamotemi, National President, Nigerian Institution of Surveyors added his voice on the call to Nasarawa State Government and other states to emulate the federal government by establishing the office of the Surveyor-General.
He said so far only 18 states out of 36 have established the office in line with the law.
The National President also expressed worry over the activities of quacks and promised to collaborate with the council and other stakeholders in sanitizing the profession.
Dr Oluwamotemi also advised members against comprising standards in discharging their duties.
In his inaugural speech, Mr Nathaniel Ibrahim, Nasarawa State Chairman of Nigerian Institute of Surveyors listed some of their functions to includes; land title documentation, cadastral surveying, engineering survey, road design.
Others are; mapping, remote sensing solution, building/Civil engineering work, and hydrographic surveying among others.
Mr Ibrahim promised that the leadership under him would ensure that members operate in line with the law with compromising standards.
He added that given their profession, they are critical stakeholders in the development of the country and cannot efforts to compromise the development of the country.
In his goodwill message, David Maiyaki, House Committee Chairman on Lands and Urban Development at the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, promised to sponsor a bill for the creating of the office of the Surveyor-General in the state.
He promised to lobby the speaker and the governor to support him and ensure that the bill succeed and the office is establish before the end of 2021.
The Registrar of the Surveyor Council of Nigeria has also inaugurated a zonal office of the council in Lafia the would be in charge of Nasarawa, Benue and Plateau States respectively.
