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Fellows & Indebtedness

Section 12.3 of the constitution exempts members above the age of seventy years from paying
subscription. Similarly, section 4.0 (iv) states that Fellows above the age of seventy years may
attend board meeting and other activities at their convenience. But under sources of revenue
section 11 (h) imposes (30% of AGM registration fees) compulsory levy for absentee. This
provision cannot apply to those members above the age of seventy years. However, those under
the age of seventy must ensure they do not fall foul of this provision bearing in mind
that consistent indebtedness to the institution is sufficient ground for suspension of membership
or delisting as FELLOW.

Where is our loyalty? NIS/SURCON

At the Sokoto AGM the general assembly directed that the institution and the leadership of
SURCON work together to resolve the differences between the two organizations. President
Akhigbe went the extra mile to meet the SGF in his office to initiate the resolution. However, some
groups of surveyors chose to elect their own chairman (contrary to our constitution) to head the
committee to implement the AGM directive thereby thwarting the aspiration of the AGM. More
recently I am told that the same group of surveyors got together using government apparatus to
reconstitute SURCON and elect its president from among themselves to the total exclusion of our
President and the institution whose members are the practitioners of the profession for the
control of which SURCON was established.

At inception of SURCON, there were twelve states of the federation of Nigeria (with twelve
surveyors general) which was why the representation of the institution on SURCON was twelve in
order to maintain a balance. Today, there are thirty six/thirty seven surveyors general on SURCON
while the representation of the institution remains at twelve. In their latest submission of
amendment to the SURCON Act, all Surveyors General are still being proposed as members of
SURCON notwithstanding the possibilities of increase in the number of states of the federation
while the representation of the institution remains at twelve. Furthermore, I am told that even
the 12 seats for the institution is to be shared among the hydrographer, the cartographer, and
various other bodies. This means as far as SURCON (now being run as extension of the office of
the surveyor general of the federation) is concerned the institution has no say whatsoever in its
affairs.

In my forty years as officer of the institution I have watched our colleagues who hold powerful
positions in government, where such position and power could have been used to enhance the
profession and advance the cause of the institution, chose (and still choose) instead to use such
powers to the disadvantage of the institution to which we all belong, only for such members when
they leave their very powerful positions in government to run back to seek elective office in the
institution from which they once turned their back. The word loyalty means, cooperation,

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