Imo Surveyor General Anele Finally Opens Up On Allegations Says Publications Against Him Were All False

By Okey Alozie
Surveyor CAP Anele, the Surveyor General of Imo State has cleared the air over series of allegations leveled against him by some faceless persons as published on Monday 10th of February in some local newspapers.
According to him, all the tabloids that published negative write ups against him did not investigate well, moreover the writers refused to discloses his names.
The report in the six newspapers namely; Announcer Express, Horn, Newsbreak and Others carried the headline, “Imo Surveyors ready for war over the return of Surveyor General”.
In that report, surveyor Anele was accused of mismanaging the statutory shares of both the state and federal surveyors registration council of Nigeria (SURCON) and the Nigeria Institute of Surveyors (NIS), the State chapter of the monthly accumulated proceeds from deposition fee for red copy (Beacon fees mandatory deposit).
He was also accused in that report of swindling the organization several millions of naira. They were supposed to have been remitted on monthly basis as the organizations statutory share of the payments noting that Surveyor Anele as the state surveyor general is automatically the chairmen of SURCON in the state and signatory to the remittance account.
When Imo Journalists visited Surveyor Anele on the allegations mention above, he expressed surprised on the things said against him. At first, he said he is not at war with anybody.
In his explanations, Surveyor Anele disclosed that he is not a signatory to the mandatory deposit account, “I don’t even know the account number” he stated.
Speaking further on the allegations, the Surveyor General hinted that the signatories to their account can only include the followings, Chairman Nigerian Institute of Surveyors Imo State branch, Chairman Association of Practicing Surveyors of Nigeria (APPSN) Imo State chapter. “Whatever account they have do not affect my person or my office”, the surveyor general pointed out.
On a different issue, centering on the fees for deposition of red copies of surveyor plan made by registered surveyors.
Surv.Anele disclosed that the money is for Imo State IGR paid under the head 402/94 of the ministry of Lands Surveyor and Urban Planning revenue.
He maintained that what he only issued in his office is certificate of deposit of survey plan under decree of 1977 No 22 of Federal Republic of Nigeria, which he said  deals on the depositions of red copy of survey plan for all registerable instruments.
As the chairman of Surveyors Council (SURCON) state committee on Ethics (SSCE) Imo State, my office is charged with issuances of rules and regulations for the control of survey practice in the state” he explained.
In addition, Anele revealed that under the schedule, fees and payment are made to SURCON, NIS National, NIS state branch and SSCE Imo State chapter in accordance with the provision of section 21 of their said rules and regulation.
He also said that in 2015 SURCON at its council meeting suspended remittance to NIS National as a result of court issue, adding that the embargo on remittance of pillar returns to NIS National was lifted on 14th March 2019 and SSCE Imo State has been compliant to that lifting of embargo on NIS National.
Explaining further on the issue of opening and closing of fictitious accounts with UBA and Zenith Bank PLC, Owerri branches in which they allegedly said that he uses connivance with some of the Bank officials in siphoning the state government funds as well as that of the organization. The surveyor general further maintained he was wrongly accused. He raised eyebrow on the publications made in Horn newspaper page six (6) of Monday, Announcer Express page two (2), Big Truth page five (5), Lead newspaper page four (4), Starpost page 10 and National Newsbreak of the same Monday publication page two (2).
He regretted why newspaper publishers should allow such negative publication to be made in their media houses.
According to him, those behind the publication could not disclose their identities.
However, the surveyor general has given the publishers of the said story against him 48hrs to retract the write up.