…As practitioners take sensitization to Bishop Lasbrey, Irete on Global Surveyors’ Day
By Ifeanyichukwu Ibe
It was a great day of joy and excitement and one to be remembered in the history of Bishop Lasbrey Girls’ Secondary School, Irete, Owerri West Local Government Area, Imo State, as the school management, teachers and students played host to the members of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, NIS, Imo State Chapter, who came to celebrate the 2024 Global Surveyors’ Day with them. The event which impacted the students very well, took place on Friday, 22nd of March.
Beside the get-together, the outing which had Imo-based Surveyors in their large numbers, raised the stakes about the enormous contributions of the surveying profession towards achieving meaningful development in the society, thus making it an all-important field of study for secondary schools students to consider in their quests for a secured and meaningful career path. This awareness was communicated to the students of Bishop Lasbrey, as Surveyors counseled them to embrace the profession.
Leading other speakers at the event, the Imo State Chairman of NIS, Surv. Dr. Kingsley Orisakwe, said that they were in the school to interact with the students and enlighten them about the surveying profession. He disclosed that Surveyors are scientists and professionals who measure, determine and provide data relevant to the shape or points of the Earth’s surface for developmental purposes, including engineering, mapmaking and construction of projects. According to him, the profession covers vast areas, including land, air, sea and railways.
“Some of you have no idea about who a Surveyor is or what he or she does. So, we are here to enlighten you, guide and educate you of the quality of the surveying profession,” Surv Orisakwe, noted, while explaining to the students various aspects of the surveying profession, as he motivated them to consider studying the course, at the same time urging them to take their academics seriously in order to able to do well in the profession.
On her own, a former student of the school, Surv. Lady Mirian Okali, while felicitating with the students, enjoined them to consider studying surveying like herself, assuring them of the numerous life enhancing opportunities of being a Surveyor, including working in government and learning establishments as well as engaging in private or corporate practice. She disclosed that embracing the profession was one of her best decisions in life, urging them to do likewise.
For Surv. Dr. P. E. Iwuanyanwu, the surveying profession is lucrative and as well as the bedrock of other disciplines, hence the students should harken to their wise admonitions and make it their career choice in order to be assets and contribute towards the growth of the society, saying the situation in the country required making wise career decisions. On the same vein, Surv. Emma Okoro, shocked the students by revealing that the benefits of the profession made him to marry a fellow Surveyor. He traced the profession to early days of man and added that practitioners work everywhere, including in the armed forces.
Another speaker, Surv. V. C. Ukwuoma, advised the students to consider themselves privileged to get the awareness as some of them never had such an opportunity. He urged them to take a leap of faith towards surveying profession which he disclosed has chains of opportunities. While Surv. (Sir) Crescent Ohanyiri, made it known to his listeners that being a practitioner, working with oil companies had attracted good fortune to him, positing that the students should become beneficiaries from the many branches of the course, including hydrographic surveying.
Also contributing, Surv. Ezeonyeasi Ekene, who worked considerably on the sea, took his time to take the students through surveying instruments displayed at the event and their uses. The instruments included; Level instrument, Total Station, DGPS or GNSS equipment, Handheld GPS, Ranging pole and Levelling Staff. He disclosed that Surveyors also use their instruments to fight against insecurity by capturing the location of criminals. He carried out the function, while urging them to be decisive in choosing surveying profession for fulfilment in future.
Meanwhile, Surv. Mrs. Onyinye Okafor, the Secretary, Imo State Chapter of NIS, while answering questions from our correspondent, hinted that the choice of the school was to encourage the female students to embrace the profession which is wrongly considered as masculine. “We are here to enlighten the girl child on the prospects of the surveying profession. Formerly, it was dominated by men, but is no longer the case. I am a woman thriving in this profession, and I hope our presence will help them to choose surveying profession,” she added.
Welcoming the Surveyors earlier, the Vice Principal of the school, Dr. Mrs Blessing Aguocha, noted that the school was lucky to have been chosen for the event, thanking the NIS members who are old students of the school for facilitating the programme. According to her, the importance of the visit by Surveyors can never be overemphasized, as she urged her students to leverage the opportunity well in order to achieve success in life.
The event witnessed various attractions, including group photography, questions and answers session involving the students and Surveyors with the students receiving cash and material prizes. Some of the students like Miss Ugochukwu Chinaza, Miss Onuoha Vivian and and Miss Onyemuche Vera, expressed gratitude to the Surveyors for coming to enlighten them, disclosing the event had stimulated their desires to study surveying. While the students were urged to take serious interest in science subjects, especially mathematics and physics to succeed in the profession.
