By Lekan Lisoye
The anti land grabbing law in Ogun state has been described as toothless bulldog which has no effects and hindering the progress and development of the state.
This was the submission of the past president of Nigerian Institution of Surveyors Surv Bode Adeaga while featuring on The Surveyors and You enlightenment programme on Ogun State Radio Station.
Sur. Adeaga added that although the enactment of the law was purposely to curb the activities of law grabbers in connivance with the land owners
but the idleness of the law gave room to pocket of crisis associated with land and land matters.
He further accused the police of not allowing the law to be effective because the police relies on false information given by land grabbers.
Adeaga wondered while police could not investigate petition written by land grabbers before they jump on surveyors who are on site performing their statutory duties on the field.
He cited himself as a victim of land grabbing case where he was petitioned as armed robber, thug and a dangerous man, which at the end he was asked to petition the petitioners for given false information to police.
Surv Adeaga suggested that Ogun State should borrow a leaf from Lagos State government which established a task force to implement the law, once they are complaint on land grabbing, the task force will investigate and swing into action.
Also speaking, another member of the institution in Ogun State Surv. Barrister Osaretin Ogbebor corroborated the position of Adeaga saying that surveyors has been victims of the ineffective of the antigrabbers
"On many occasions registered surveyors has been unlawfully arrested, detained at police station, their instruments bought with millions of naira seized by this criminals because they had legalized their association to the National level".
Both surveyor Adeaga and Ogbebor want the state House of Assembly to revisit the the law and advice the government to set up a standing committee to be backed by law for enforcement.
"One thing is to make law another thing is to implement, once the House of Assembly revisit the law and enforcement follows surveyors will be protected and be confidence to go to the field because the law is to stop the illegal payment at every stage of building project". Ogbebor added
On while survey plan is needed in court and who is to present the plan, Ogbebor said "Survey plan shows the actual dimension of the land and all the physical objects around the land and the plan is always prepared by the surveyors not his assistant
and any body can present the plan in court even the client except there is dispute on the land which requires the presence of the surveyor that prepare the plan for details explanation'.
Surv Adeaga and Ogbebor concluded that there should be cordial relationship between the surveyors, the judiciary and police.
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