Worried by the challenges that has bedeviled the Nigeria built sector in recent years, Coalition of Civil Society Organisation for Peace and Good Governance have made an appeal to the executive and elected members of the National Assembly awaiting inauguration to give the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation (OSGOF) the attention it deserves with a view to addressing the crises that has rocked it leading to loss of lives and property.
The CSOs explained that the call became necessary in view of series intra/interstate and several communities boundary disputes as well as rampant spate of building collapse and other associated losses.
Addressing news men in Abuja on Friday, Convener of the Coalition, Comrade Jonathan Ogwuche , commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the attention he gave the OSGOF during his first tenure that gave rise to the significant milestones achieved in within the last four years and urged the incoming members of the National Assembly to pay attention to the OSGOF.
“… recall that Nigeria was riddled with interstate and several communities boundary disputes on the one hand while on the other matters of housing and siting of infrastructure where only shabbily attended to. This came with its attendant challenges including a rampant spate of building collapse and other associated losses.
“We were therefore delighted when this government decided to give proper attention to the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation with the necessary support as fillip for success. Today, the surveying and mapping systems deployed by the Office of the Surveyor General are miles ahead of what hitherto obtained”.
The CSO praised the Surveyor General, Dr. Ebisintei Awudu for his foresight and ingenuity in reengineering the wheels of the office that has brought it back from oblivion and urged him to remain resolute in the service to the nation.
The group specifically highlighted some of the achievements of the Surveyor General to include expansion of the office from six to twelve technical departments with the approval of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation adding that at present, the office has Survey and Mapping Units in eight ministries where it pooled 8 Resident Surveyors.
To ensure that the OSGOF is worth what it is, the group said the Surveyor General ensured that the Schemes of Service for Surveyors, Survey Technologists, Survey Technicians and Craftsman cadres have been revised to conform to international best practices of Surveying and Mapping profession.
