The Ondo State chapter of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) has condemned the government’s handling of security concerns.
This follows the recent abduction of nine surveyors in Ilu Abo community, Akure North Local Government Area, by unknown gunmen.
The victims were kidnapped last week while conducting a survey at a project site before being released after public protests.
Women in Akure staged demonstrations on Tuesday, demanding urgent action from the government to address rising insecurity.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Ondo NIS Chairman Kayode Bello criticized the state government’s slow response to security threats.
He urged authorities to take proactive measures instead of waiting for bureaucratic approvals before responding to security emergencies.
Bello also condemned remarks made by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s Special Adviser on Union Matters, Mr. Bola Taiwo.
Taiwo suggested that surveyors should hire private security escorts since they charge clients substantial fees for their services.
Reacting, Bello described the statement as insensitive, emphasizing that security is the government’s responsibility, not individual professionals’.
He noted that surveyors and other professionals in the state’s civil service do not typically work under armed protection.
Bello dismissed Taiwo’s claim that surveyors earn high fees without investing in security as unsubstantiated and misleading.
He stressed that surveying operates within regulated pricing, making it unrealistic to expect professionals to fund personal security.
The NIS has demanded a public retraction of Taiwo’s statement within 48 hours and urgent government action on security.
