Surveyors tackle quacks in Delta, set guidelines for practice

In pursuance of professional excellence, proper documentation of acquired landed properties, the Delta State Branch of Nigerian Institution of Surveyors has unfold measures to flush out quacks among them, thus with new guidelines on cadastral survey practice which commences January 1, 2018.

The state chairman of the Professional body, Surveyor Umukoro Abraham at a media conference yesterday in Asaba, disclosed that the new guidelines which he added is in agreement with the state government, would checkmate the “evil activities” of Quacks, as well as bring sanity to the surveyor business in the state.

Saying that sixty-one suspected Quacks were currently being investigated in the state, stressing that the new guidelines, among others, would protect the public from unwholesome practices by some self-acclaimed professionals.

He said: “The guidelines will deal with the Quacks, penalize, and sanction erring members involved in sharp practices, many people had lost their practices due to quackery, and loss of revenue by the state government”.

He explained that with the new guidelines there will be public awareness on the need to make use of registered surveyors to execute their survey jobs for proper documentation of their properties, and avoid loss will be unveiled, just as a new price regime would be introduced as cost of production.

The institution also decried the substantive loss of revenues to the state government through Quacks, due mostly from survey plans not lodge with the Ministry of Lands and Surveys.

Mr. Umukoro said that with these new cadastral guidelines, it is expected that there would be control on the proliferation of fake survey plans, especially with the introduction of the customized conqueror papers for survey plans which is designed for every surveyor with a unique identification, adding: “the system is designed in such a manner that every surveyor approved to practice in the state will have a unique identification, and other security information captured on the papers, allotted to him/her for the production of survey papers”.

The institution while thanking the state government for its efforts to enhance the process of land titles, particularly the issuance of Electricity Certificates of Occupancy (C of O), said that the government should take steps to establish a further collaboration with professional bodies to promise development.

Nosa Akenzua, Asaba