Enugu lawmakers call for downward review of N160,000 surveyor fee for a plot of land

The Enugu State House of Assembly Committee on Lands and Foreign Investment has called on Nigeria Institute of Surveyors (NIS), Enugu State, for downward review of N160,000 surveyor fee for a plot of land in Enugu.
The chairman of the committee, Mr Ibenaku Onoh, made the call in Enugu on Thursday during the committee meeting with the NIS and Association of Practising Private Surveyors in Enugu.
Onoh said that the meeting was a follow-up to the previous meeting they had with the Surveyor-General of the state, Mr Godwin Ishiwu and his Deputy Mr Boniface Odiha on Oct. 17 at the assembly complex.
The committee’s chairman said that the cost of surveying a plot of land in Enugu is N160,000 since May which was not applicable in any part of south eastern states.
He demanded to know the cause of the increase and how to remedy it to suit the current economic challenges’ in the state.
Onoh also complained that out of N160, 000 that was charged by surveyors in Enugu, only N1,000 was remitted to the state government’s purse.
The lawmaker said that all the assembly members represent respective constituency; adding that there was no part of Enugu State that was not represented there.
He said that the assembly considered the surveyor price for a plot of land too high in Enugu, appealing to NIS to go and consider a down ward review of the price.
He urged NIS to do the needful for them to resolve the issue amicably at the committee level as it would be better for all of them, adding that their doors were always open for contributions and advice.
While responding to some of the issues raised by the committee, the Chairman Nigeria Instituted of surveyors Enugu State, Dr Augustus Didiugwu, said that they domesticated the fees based on their own perception of what was obtainable at the national levels in 1996.
“The Federal Government gives scale of fees to practitioners in construction industry and it has been a guide for practitioner in the construction.
“Some variables like inflation, cost of equipment, cost of transport and accommodation is what we base our reviews on,”  he said.
Didiugwu said that the matter would be discussed in the general meeting of the surveyors in Enugu as it was not principal officers’ matter alone.
He said that they had seen the committees concern and promised to take it to the people they were representing.