Ms Yvonne O. Sowah, President of the Ghana Institution of Surveyors (GhIS) on Monday reiterated the need for governments to recognize the role of surveyors in the development of every nation.
She said most often governments ignored the profession when dealing with foreign investors, adding, “every profession in the field of a particular investment should be brought on board to guarantee that the right thing is done to save cost.”
Ms Sowah said this at a media briefing organized in Accra to highlight the activities of this year’s sixth Surveyors Week celebrations and the 42nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the GhIS.
The AGM was to take stock and to discuss relevant and topical issues as well as showcase its functions and services to the public.
The celebrations were on the theme “Fulfilling The Ghanaian Dream, The Role of the Surveyor in the Management of the Oil and Gas Industry”.
Ms Sowah said the theme was chosen to throw more light on the role of the Surveyor in the emerging oil and gas industry, mindful of Ghana’s discovery of the commodities in commercial quantities.
She said even though most Ghanaians were aware when studies and investigation for the discovery started, majority were generally not fully prepared for the challenges that the actual discovery and production would bring.
“So immediately the discovery was announced and authenticated, there was a run for all sorts of ventures to take advantage of the economic fall outs of the discovery.
“Mass sale and purchase of land without adherence to approved planning schemes, conversion of the land use status of existing developments and the organization of some sorts of educational programmes are but a few to the responses,” she added.
Ms Sowah said most of those ventures were undertaken at the individual level without resort to professional advice that subsequently resulted in some adverse effects that would need remedial actions.
“Surveyors are needed to help to remedy the challenges brought about by the initial response to the discovery and also strategise how to tackle the challenges in the future,” the President added.
She said there were hosts of future projects and other proposals for the establishment of a Gas Processing Plant at Bonyera in the Western Region and refineries and other petrochemical industries that needed the skills and expertise of a surveyor right from the land acquisition stage, through construction and effective management after completion.
Ms Sowah announced that through the Institution’s newly established Training and Research Outfit, it would roll out programmes aimed at up-grading skills of its members to make them more relevant on the rather sophisticated oil and gas industry.
She said the Surveyors’ Voluntary Service Scheme re-launched last year would also be further resourced and made available especially to families and stools with large land-holdings, but without the resources to help them to effectively undertake schemes to make their lands more economically attractive.
That, the President said, would prevent haphazard development while generating the requisite sustainable revenue for the future generations.
Activities started last Saturday with a health walk in Accra. Proceeds would be presented to inmates of the Weija Leprosarium in the Ga South Municipality.