Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions has declined the request of the Surveyor General of Rivers State and that of all the states of the federation on the amendments of enabling Act/Rules and Regulations of Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON).

The Surveyors General of all the states of the Federation had, in a petition dated July 28, 2023, and signed by the Surveyor General of Rivers State, Noel D.C. Elenwo, on behalf of all the States Surveyors General, urged the Senate to stop the alleged amendments on policies and provisions of the SURCON enabling Act/Rules and Regulations by the Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON).

They alleged that such amendments would impact negatively on the constitutional powers of the governors of states with regards to land administration and states’ Survey Laws.

They also alleged that the office of the Surveyor General of the Federation have been carrying out surveying and mapping within the states without recourse to the Surveyors General of respective states, among other allegations.

But, the Senate committee, headed by Senator Neda Imasuen, noted that there was sufficient evidence to establish that the issues raised in the petition were pending before the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division.

The committee stated this when the representatives of the Surveyor General of the Federation and the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors appeared before the committee.

The Surveyor General of the Federation, Adebomehin Adeyemi, and the President of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Dr Matthew O. Ibitoye, had earlier urged the Senate Committee to ignore the petition on the grounds that the issues raised in the petition were pending before the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division in Appeal Number: CA/LAG/CV/1144/2022.

Specifically, Ibitoye, in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Committee, stated that all the issues raised on the SURCON Guidelines of 2020, the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and the SURCON Act, are subject of a pending appeal, in Appeal No.: CA/LAG/CV/1 144/2022 between the Surveyor General of Lagos State and others against Adaranijo and others at the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, following a judgment of Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court, in Lagos.