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Worried by the activities of quarks, and to instill professional excellence and proper documentation of acquired landed properties in Delta state, the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, Delta state chapter, has unveiled new guidelines on cadastral survey practice, which will commence on January 1, 2018.

The institution on Tuesday, December 5, 2017 at a press briefing in Effurun, said introduction of the new guidelines, which was in agreement with the Delta State Government, is to bring sanity into the survey practice in the state.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the Institution, Surveyor Umukoro Abraham, (MNIS), said that the new guideline is geared towards protecting the public from unwholesome practices by some professional surveyors and their quark agents, adding that it will deal with, penalize and sanction earring members involved in sharp practices.
He said that many people had lost their properties due to the activities of quarks in the profession as well as great loss of revenue by the Delta State Government.
Survy Umukoro also stated that the new guidelines will also bring about uniformity in plan production for all jobs, through the use of customised papers which will be used by all approved surveyors in the state.
“The new guidelines will bring about uniformity in plan production for all our clients, through the use of our customised papers which will be introduced by the institution, for use by all registered surveyors in private practice come 1st of January, 2018.”
He stressed that with the new guidelines, public awareness will be created on the need for clients to make use of registered surveyors to execute their survey jobs for proper documentation of their properties and avoid loss, just as he stated that a new price regime is to be introduced, for the fact that cost of production has increased overtime.
The institution, also decried the substantive loss of revenues to the State Government through quarks, due mostly from survey plans not lodged with the State Ministry of Lands and Survey, adding that with the new cadastral guidelines, it is expected that there will be control on the proliferation of fake survey plans, especially with the introduction of the Customised Conqueror Papers for Survey Plans, which he noted was designed for every surveyor with a unique identification.
“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 production of survey papers.”
The institution at the briefing further assured that the guidelines will go a long way in protecting clients, as job paid for will be timely delivered, as well as ensuring that the elimination of unnecessary delay, even noting that the new system will be coming with pre-payment for plan deposit aimed at guaranteeing immediate lodgment prior to the production of certified true copies.
“This is to eliminate production of plans and sketches not intended to be lodged, which presently had been bringing revenue loss to the State,” he stated
The institution while thanking the state government for efforts towards enhancing process of land titles, particularly the issuance of Electronic Certificates of Occupancy, said that the Government should make further steps to establish collaboration with professional bodies to promote speedy development.
According to the chairman, to further bring the attention of the public to the proposed new development, adverts will be carried out on the Mass Media with a view to keeping the public in tune with happenings in within the profession in Delta state.