–     Chronicles his alleged unprofessional conducts to undermine union.

The Nigerian Institute of Surveyors, Imo State branch has drawn the attention of the Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma to some of the actions of the Surveyors General of the state Odidika, that it considers unprofessional, high handed and vindictive.

The group in an open letter to the governor dated April 14, 2026, commended him for his good works since he assumed office.

The letter reads in part, “As members of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) and the Association of Private Practicing Surveyors of Nigeria (APPSN), Imo State Branch, we present this open letter to His Excellency for two vital reasons: 

First, we express our sincere appreciation for your administration’s support and milestones achieved within the surveying profession. 

Second, we must urgently bring to your attention the severe professional hardship and “crushing pains” currently suffered by practitioners under the leadership of the Surveyor General, Robert Odidika”.

“Your Excellency, we wish to formally recognize and celebrate your unprecedented commitment to advancing Surveying and Geoinformatics in Imo State. Your tenure has marked a “Golden Era” for our profession through the following milestones: 

Technological Advancement: The procurement of world-class, multi-million Naira digital surveying equipment, modernizing the Office of the Surveyor General to global standards. 

Manpower Development: The landmark approval and employment of over thirty (30) Digital Surveyors, significantly boosting the state’s technical capacity and professional workforce. 

Digital Infrastructure: The rapid construction, equipping, and commissioning of a state-of-the-art Land Information System (LIS) Laboratory, revolutionizing land administration in Imo State. 

Infrastructural Excellence: Your massive road reconstruction projects-including the Owerri-Orlu, Owerri-Umuahia, Owerri-Okigwe, Owerri-Port Harcourt, and Orlu-Ideato roads-which provide the essential framework for state development. 

Economic Vision: The ambitious Orashi Power Project, which stands as a historic leap toward industrialization and public empowerment. 

By these achievements, you have positioned Imo State as a leader in digital geospatial development. 

We proudly celebrate you as a “Surveying-Friendly Governor” and “Mr. Infrastructure.” We remain eager for the opportunity to honor you formally during a courtesy audience”. 

In what the group referred to as “matter of grave concern regarding the Office of the Surveyor General of Imo state,” the letter stated that, “Your Excellency, it is with a heavy heart and a sense of professional duty that we bring to your attention the deteriorating state of the Office of the Surveyor General. For over two and a half years, both local and national mediation efforts have failed to curb the oppressive and unprofessional conduct of Surv. Robert Odidika. 

We respectfully highlight the following systemic abuses:

1. Violation of Statutory Authority: Surveying is a federally regulated profession under the Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON) Act (S18, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004). Much of our practice is facilitated through SURCON beacon numbers, managed at the state level by a three-man SURCON State Committee on Ethics. 

2. Illegal Obstruction of Practice: By law, the Surveyor General-acting only as Chairman of the Ethics Committee has no individual right to prevent a registered surveyor from practicing. Such disciplinary powers belong exclusively to the SURCON Disciplinary Committee following a formal investigation by the Surveyors Investigation Panel (SIP).

3. Professional Suppression: Despite these clear legal boundaries, the Surveyor General has bypassed statutory processes to unilaterally deny practitioners the tools of their trade, effectively “de-registering” surveyors without due process. 

4. Administrative Malpractice: The current atmosphere in the Office of the Surveyor General has become one of exploitation and professional discouragement, undermining the very digital and infrastructural progress Your Excellency has worked so hard to build. 

Your Excellency, we can no longer remain silent while the laws of the Federation are ignored and our livelihoods are systematically dismantled by a single official. 

Part C: Specific Acts of Misconduct and Professional 

Suppression

Your Excellency, the following points detail the “crushing pains” we currently endure 

under the present Surveyor General++: 

1. Systemic Obstruction of Practice: The Surveyor General frequently halts professional activities by withholding SURCON beacon numbers. Most notably, from January 2-13, 2025, he unilaterally blocked the practice of every surveyor in the state, ignoring all appeals for resolution. 

2. Orchestrated Judicial Harassment: In a blatant act of victimization, the Surveyor General and his associate, Mr. Kelechi Ekeonugha, instigated trumped-up forgery charges against our immediate past NIS Imo Chairman. This resulted in his four-day detention in February 2025-retribution for his leadership in protesting the office’s exploitative tendencies. 

3. Misleading the State Government: He has falsely claimed to state officials that surveyors are refusing to pay deposition fees. We state categorically that we are ready to pay all lawful fees once the Ministry of Lands, Survey, and Urban Planning opens collection. This is a deliberate attempt to pit Your Excellency’s administration against our law-abiding members. 

4. Illegal “Beacon Borrowing” Racket: He has introduced a corrupt “private issuance” system. Instead