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commitment, allegiance, faithfulness, the act of binding yourself intellectually or emotionally to a
cause of action, devotion, staunchness, and constancy. So, where does their loyalty lie?

In civilized nations, Professional Bodies control the profession, not Government. And the Nigerian
Institution of Surveyors proposed SURBON to government over forty years ago to this end, but
our colleagues in government continue to scuttle that aspiration, preferring to hold on to the relics
of colonial masters in the words of Surv. Folowosele, or continue to maintain the master-servant
relationship in the words of Past president Adekunle Kukoyi. In recent years other professions like
the NSE have joined the race, calling on government to hands off control of the profession in
Nigeria. In Britain from whom Nigeria obtained her independence The Royal Institution of
Chartered Surveyors control the profession of Surveying, not Her Majesty's Government. The
same government apparatus used by our powerful members in government to reconstitute
SURCON could have been used and can be used to achieve the aspirations of the institution if
indeed members high and low are loyal to the institution.

Let me take this opportunity to express my gratitude and appreciation to all those who responded
to the secretary's call for members to send their views on what they expect from the board of
fellows. Thank you all because it shows your commitment to the institution and the board of
fellows. One such responder is Surv Dabiri Thomas (FNIS) from Warri. He raised a number of issues
some of which are: loss of moral credibility of leadership of the institution in recent years; lack of
leadership building mechanism to allow for easy transition in succession of leadership of SURCON;
and setting up mutually agreed system for easy SURCON SUCCESSION. Finally, he wrote "NIS
cannot claim supremacy over other tripod legs . . . NIS is a product of democracy. In democracy
there is no supremacy but all powers are separated, mutually respected with checks and balances.
I will never align with the confusion going around by some NIS members and EXCO. that NIS is
supreme and it can just hold any persons or body on the jugular. . . If we set up a mutually agreed
system for SURCON SUCCESSION we will go high places." (unquote)

Surv. Dabiri Thomas and members who hold his view is one of the many reasons why I asked for
reflection on the plight of our institution with her disloyal members. This kind of view informed
the necessity for reading to your hearing the Address (complaint against members in government)
of Pp Kukoyi to Council in January of 1981 where the revered Pp quoted presidents of other
institutions, "In the words of Arc. Oluwole and QS Emiowele (during the NYSC Directorate
meeting) "the institution is Supreme and its members, high and low, within and outside the
Ministries owe it a professional obligation to assist in ensuring the achievement of its set
objectives” (unquote). Surv. Dabiri Thomas and those members who think like him need to
examine their understanding of what the institution stands for and their loyalty to the institution
that conferred on them her highest honor of FELLOW. In the words of Arch. Oluwole, QS
Emiowele, and Pp Kukoyi, do our members, high and low, in or outside the ministry consider it
their professional obligation to assist in ensuring the achievement of the objectives of the
institution?

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