Land buyers warned against backdating survey plans, patronizing quacks
Land buyers who think there are cheap and quick ways of obtaining their survey plans have been warn to run away from unnecessary risk taking by backdating their survey documents and also obtaining same through pseudo-professionals commonly called quacks.
Olugbenga Alara, chairman of Lagos State Branch of Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), who gave the warning at a forum in Lagos recently, noted that apart from such act being against the law establishing the institution, no registered member of the association would ever promise to do such, as it is against the law and ethics of the profession.
As the umbrella body for professional surveyors, he said, NIS has been at the forefront of canvassing for strict adherence to due process, especially with regards to surveying, saying that the profession has a critical role to play in ensuring proper planning and order in the society.
“We are here as part of activities marking our Annual General Meeting (AGM) to sensitize and advance relationship with members of the public on the roles of Surveyors in the society.
“The NIS is an organisation that takes seriously the issue of ethics and compliance with due process and we like to use this medium to urge the public to avoid any Surveyor that tells them he can help to backdate survey plan. There is nothing in our law that supports this and no registered member of the Institution can tell you he can do that.
“As a matter of fact, any Surveyor that says he can do that must be an impostor and that could be a way to detect fake surveyors. Before giving job to any Surveyor, do a proper background check and ask the neccesary questions,” Alara advised.
At the AGM proper, he urged the Federal Government to comply with the United Nations’ recommendation of devoting 2.5 percent of the annual budget to surveying, saying the country stands to benefit a lot from such compliance. He noted that, all over the world, the most advanced countries were the most surveyed, and that surveying comes with a lot of funding.
“Government must properly fund the sector to bring about desired transformation and order in the society; this is because if you check all over the world, you would find out that the most advanced countries are the most surveyed. United Nations has recommended that 2.5 percent of the annual budget must be devoted to surveying and if our country can comply with that directive, the society will be better for it,” Alara said.
Ishola Agbaje, the guest lecturer at the AGM, said surveyors have greater role to play in changing the society for good, adding that, more than ever before, members of the profession must use their expertise to solve societal problems.
Agbaje, who is the Executive Director of African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education In English (ARCSSTEE),said Surveyors must do more in keeping abreast with modern technologies, while specialized divisions must also be encouraged in the profession.
“Surveyors must come up with strategies that will impact directly on the livelihood of the people. Institutional capacities must also be developed as organizations and authorities in the profession have to adjust their mandate frequently in response to technological changes,” he said.
CHUKA UROKO