The Delta State Branch of Nigerian institution of Surveyors (NIS) has unfolded measures to flush out quacks among them, with new guidelines on cadastral survey practice commencing January 1, 2018.
The State Chairman, Umukoro Abraham who spoke at a press conference in Asaba, disclosed that the new guidelines, which are in agreement with the state government, would checkmate the activities of quacks and bring sanity to the surveyor business in the state.
According to him, 61 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 would be public awareness on the need to make use of registered surveyors to execute survey jobs for proper documentation of their property, while 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.
He said: “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 thanked the state government for its efforts to enhance the process of land titles, particularly the issuance of electronic Certificates of Occupancy (C of O), urged that the government to establish a further collaboration with professional bodies.
