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Where is our Integrity?

Surv. Akinboye Ogunola (FNIS) from Osun State wrote, "Many of our Surveyors these days know
the control points around which they will traverse, they know their clients and are able to bargain
with them. They do not know the input of many in the profession who had toiled to make the
trade what it is today. Since they do not know, they cannot appreciate and as a result they drag
the profession into the mud."

Many of our members do not know the struggle and sacrifice of our founding fathers made to
bring the institution and the profession to what it is today. Recently, Surv Banji Akinhanmi (FNIS)
delivered a paper to the Lagos State Branch of APPSN. In appendix 18 of the paper Surv Akinhanmi
produced Quarterly Pillar returns against individual surveyors for the three quarters of 2002
(January-March; April-June, and July-September). The histogram (statistical-graph) so produced
from the returns was rather revealing. It showed clearly those involved in unethical practice. I am
not aware that similar exercise had been carried out since then. But the number of unethical
practice is on the increase and one must wonder what SURCON is doing to maintain the integrity
of the profession, for this is the primary duty of SURCON.

Our founding fathers left us a legacy of integrity and discipline. Yet it is on record that one
Secretary General, an ordinary member, slapped a Fellow of the institution and absolutely nothing
was done to discipline either of the parties. Pa Olumide our first president, we are told, retired at
the appointed age of fifty-five; not even the persuasion of the colonial administration (for him to
stay on for personal financial benefit) could make him change his mind. Pa Olumide insisted that
age fifty five is age fifty five. What shall we say about our second president Pa Ekundayo Ajayi, a
chartered engineer, who chose to be a common carpenter in Gold Coast, present day Ghana,
because he would not accept being discriminated against by the white man in his own country.
These leaders left us example of integrity and demonstration of uprightness and strong moral
principles.

If this is who we are, why would a President and his Secretary General be involved in scandal
involving fund of the institution to the tune of over thirty million Naira? And why, for over four
years, was no acceptable explanation given to members by two/three successive administrations?
WHERE IS OUR ACCOUNTABILITY? Only recently the office of the Surveyor General of the
Federation was reported as being investigated by EFCC; while reports of atrocities of various
magnitude are being committed daily in offices of some Surveyors General. This is not the
Institution our fore fathers handed down to us. And if we must live worthy of our profession, there
has to be a change in loyalty, in discipline, in decorum, in honesty of purpose, and in accountability
and the change must start with you and with me.

In closing, let me reiterate that section 4.1 (ii) of our constitution states that the board shall serve
as custodian and caretaker of the image and tradition of the institution and the profession. And
section 4.1 (vii) empowers BoF to INTERVENE in matters involving members or state branches and
on matters referred to it by council. Therefore, this assembly must take

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