The Ghana Institution of Surveyors (GHIS) has expressed its readiness to help the government achieve its developmental agenda outlined for the betterment of the country.
It has therefore lauded the emergence of a minister who will help facilitate the living conditions and enhance development in the Zongos and inner cities across the country.
“It is the job of the surveyor to realign buildings and create more drains to carry away waste water as well as space for social activities in the Zongo’s if the need arises, hence our call”, President of GHIS, Surveyor Nene Emmanuel Martey said at a news conference in Accra.
According to him, their quest is to partner government and make themselves useful to the state and thus they are there to assist in the demarcation and compensation likely to be paid to people whose properties will be affected in the cause of development.
He professed that the minister for Zongo and Inner Cities portfolio was very key to their professional practice, adding that they will engage him on what the surveyor can do to assist in his developmental agenda.
“I believe that we are going to strike a collaborative link with the minister for him to get us involved in his processes and advise him on technical issues”, the Surveyor’s president observed.
Surveyor Emmanuel Martey, made those statement in his address to launch the 12th Surveyors week and 48th Annual General Meeting on Monday 20th February 2017 under the theme: The surveyor and the sustainable development goals.
The weeklong program commenced with fun games activities on Friday 18th February, following a press conference on Monday 20th with an official launch.
Other activities outlined for the celebrations include, a charity donation to the burns unit of Korle-bu, orientation for new members, induction of new members into GHIS, a presidential lecture, followed by an Annual General Meeting (AGM) and a presidential ball to elect new President and other executives to take over affairs. The celebration will end with a thanksgiving service on Sunday 26th February 2017.
Nene Martey, in his address explained that the theme was chosen for their surveyor’s week because of its importance in the global agenda initiated by the United Nations (UN) under its 2013 agenda for sustainable development which is the transformative plan of action based on 17 Sustainable Development Goals outlined to address urgent global challenges over the next 15 years.
He added that those goals in addition to eradicate extreme poverty, also seek to integrate and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development, economic, social and environmental in the comprehensive global vision.
“As surveyors, we play an important role in national development. From land demarcation, land acquisition, valuation, cost management, project management and property/facility management. The surveyor cannot therefore be ignored if the SDG’s agenda is to be successful” he noted.
He thence seized the opportunity to extend an invitation to the general public to partake in their programs lined up for the week to make it successful.