By Ijeoma Umeh
Benin City – The Edo State Private Properties Protection Committee has advised parties to tender only survey plans duly done by Registered Estate Surveyors while submitting their documents.
The Committee made this admonition during its sitting yesterday in Government House Benin City.
The Committee had earlier given a directive that a man be detained for appearing before the Committee and identifying himself as an Estate Surveyor.
The man had also appended his signature on a survey plan that was to be tendered in evidence on a land dispute.
Questioned by Committee members on his professional certification, the man admitted that he was not a registered Surveyor but that he was trained by his principal, the Estate Surveyor who was contacted by the Respondent to do a composite plan to determine the situation of the land in dispute.
Visibly disturbed by the fact that the Principal Estate Surveyor had been paid to do the plan and had handed it down to his trainee, the Committee rejected the document presented by the trainee and insisted on a proper plan, one that met the stipulated requirements set as a standard by the Committee in the discharge of its functions.
Hon Justice Alero Edodo-Eruaga (Retd), Chairman of Committee reiterated the Committee’s stance thus:
“We reject, in its entirety, the document you have presented before this Committee today. We advice you to please go back to the drawing board, prepare a composite plan and come to speak to us on it. The plan must be well made, signed with your professional registration number as an Estate Surveyor duly attached.”
In his response, the Principal Estate Surveyor (name withheld) tendered an apology to the Committee and stated that he did not know that the matter was before the Honourable Committee and that he was misinformed as to where the document would be used. He also assured the Committee that he would do the needful, and promptly too.
Meanwhile, the Committee heard 31 cases yesterday, with commencements and reports by Investigative police teams on status of cases still under investigation.
Two cases were however struck out, one, based on a petition written against the Ohen of Ekae village and the other because of lack of diligent prosecution of the matter. Sitting continues in Benin City.
