The Nigeria Institute of Surveyors in Ogun State, on Thursday, urged Governor Ibikunle Amosun to urgently sign the bill proposing 25 years imprisonment for land grabbers, popularly called Omo-Onile in the state.
The State House Assembly had on Tuesday passed a bill into law prescribing 25 imprisonment for land grabbers who claims ownership of landed property that do not belong to them.
The State Chairman of NIS , Surv. Babatunde Ashaye , while speaking on the development, charged Amosun not to delay the process of signing the bill, as it would not only benefit the citizens of the state , but would also provide the state’s surveyors the opportunity to work on any land in the state.
Ashaye spoke at the 2016 Sunyaolu Memorial Lecture , saying ” My sincere advice to the Governor is to just close his eyes and sign the bill because it is as urgent as anything “.
At the event held at the Olusegun obasanjo presidential library, OOPL, Abeokuta, the Guest Lecturer, Prof. Toyin Arowona spoke extensively on the topic, “Environmental Management In Nigeria : Issues , Challenges and Options “.
Speaking further on the bill, Ashaye said, ” it is a welcome development, we are all aware of the havoc being done by the land grabbers, and with the passage of that bill, definitely, it is going to bring a positive development not only for the state, but also to we, surveyors”
” We will feel safe to work on any land, any where within the state because the issue is becoming a terrible problem for the state,” he added.
The chairman also called on the state government to endeavour to create the Office of the Surveyor General, saying that its creation would bring development to the profession as well as the entire state.
He added that the body had paid a courtesy call to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Suraj Adekunbi, briefed him on the matter and he has promised to look into it .
His words, “the creation of the office of the Surveyor General of Ogun state will bring a lot of development not only to the state, but survey profession . The Surveyor General will be able to attend and give timely information on the happenings on the land in the state. We went to the speaker and we table the point before him and he agreed that he would support the course”.
The NIS chairman also emphasized on the global acquisition of land stressing, “it is taking off food on our table”, just as he warned residents in the state to desist from asking quacks to do any survey work for them.
