House C’ttee wants 1962 Survey Coordination Act reviewed

By Ochiaka Ugwu

In view of the critical functions of the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation (OSGoF) to Internal Revenue Generation (IGR), security, national planning and development, the House Committee on Works and Housing has expressed need for review of the Survey Coordination Act of 1962.
Chairman of the committee, Honourable Abubakar Kabir Bichi and Honourable Members of the committee who expressed this during the 2021 Budget Defence of agencies under the Ministry of Works and Housing at the National Assembly Complex observed that the act was already out of touch with present realities.
Honourable Bichi asked the Surveyor General of the Federation (SGoF), Surv. Samuel Adeniran Taiwo to make available necessary documents to the Honourable members of the committee for study and recommendation for proper legislation. During the session with the SGoF, the committee observed that OSGoF was capable of generating huge amount of money for the country and therefore the need to mainstream surveying and mapping activities in the country.
They also noted the need for the posting of surveyors to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Government and shoving off of all surveying and mapping components from MDAs to OSGoF for revenue generation and proper management.
Earlier, the SGoF, Surv. Taiwo appealed to the legislators to help OSGoF for optimum contributions for the common good of the people. He talked about the importance of large scale map that could help the Federal Government achieve much in terms of IGR, effecting policing, planning and economic development.
The SGoF presented a total budget of N3,079,221,896 for 2021 as against the 2020 amended budget N2,812,856,845.46 of OSGoF. He mentioned N1,910,262,530.00 for capital as against N1,048,747,958.71 for 2020; N943,959,366.00 of personnel cost against N710,161,866.00 for 2020; and N225,000,000.00 overhead cost against that of 2020 which was NN153,947,020.75.