By Lukman Olabiyi
Surveyors across the country have express diverse views on how Federal Government (FG) can tackle issues of brain drain crisis and insecurity ravaging the country.
They spoke at the 39th Annual General Meeting, Luncheon with the theme NIS@90 Brain Drain and development, growth: Impact on the surveying profession in Nigeria, said the trend has constituted a clog in the wheel of development in the country.
Fielding questions from journalists, the president of Nigerian Institution of Surveyors(NIS) Dr. Matthew Ibitoye said , ‘’ Brain drain has eaten deep into the fabrics of this nation, it is not only in the surveying profession , it’s rampant in the health sector. People are leaving this country because the economy and security are not palatable. People want to live in an environment that is secured, where they can secure their lives and jobs. Many of our members are frustrated. Our members cannot go to some regions in the country to carry out their assignments. Then if you have an opportunity elsewhere then you will move with your family. Unfortunately, we are entering another slavery we may not know now.’’
Also commenting on the problem of brain drain, the Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, Lagos State branch, Surveyor Olukolade Kasim said,’’ the issue of brain drain syndrome itself is not bad may be there are some good we can harvest from it because we are actually witnessing that some of our members who go outside the country in search of greener pasture has resulted in knowledge transfer when they send us messages to us we see new trends.’’
Ibitoye while dwelling on other issues blamed the problem of quackery on patronage by the general public saying if people were not patronizing them they would not be in business.
He said, ‘’ the challenge is that there won’t be any quack if there is no patronage , quack is not a new thing in any profession but if there is no patronage , the quack will not be in existence. It is some of us that are aiding them. When you are patronizing a surveyor, look for a registered surveyor. That is a surveyor registered by Surveyor Council of Nigeria. We are doing everything humanly possible in NIS to ensure that the issue of quackery in surveying is drastically reduced.
He picked holes in diaspora surveying practice, noting that despite the deployment of technology, the profession cannot be practiced by proxy.
Harping on the issue of insecurity rocking the country, ‘Kasim said, ‘’ If Nigeria is properly mapped the problem of insecurity will be reduced. When the government partner with us insecurity will be reduced because we are the masters of location and the government needs to partner with the master of locations and insecurity will be reduced to the minimum.’’