...Kicks Against Quackery
From Uchenna Ezeadigwe
Awka
As part of its activities to mark the 2026 International Day for Practising surveyors, the Anambra State chapter have embarked on massive sensitisation walk.
The event which took place at Awka, Anambra State capital on Saturday, 21st March, 2026 was graced with over one hundred members March from Aroma to the state office at Amawbia.
Speaking shortly after the walk, the chairman of Nigerian Institute of Surveyors, Anambra State chapter, and Fellow Nigeria Institute of Surveyors, Surveyors Chief Gabriel Okeke said (FNIS) said the day was to chowcase to the role what surveying is all about and also tell the people that survey is the bedrock of development.
He emphasized that surveying practice in Anambra has gone digital and this is as a result of challenges such as insecurity and quackery faced during the discharge of our duties.
While advising developers to engage professionals and not amateurs said the association have been able to install call station in Awka and Onitsha to monitor the activities of Surveying in the whole Anambra and delta state.
He called on the governor Soludo to support the association by providing more call stations as it will help no only the surveyors but the government to know locations of lands for farm, residential area, industrial area as well as monitor land erosions and slides.
Contributing, the National Internal Auditor of Surveyors, and Associate Professor of Surveying and Geoformatics Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Dr Chukwubueze Uzochukwu Onwuzuluigbo disclosed that surveyors practice is the state is doing well but lamented over the increasing rate of Quackery. "People do patronise individuals who claim to know the basis of Surveying and end up causing problems. More than half of the land cases in the state are caused by the quacks. survey not only go beyond boundary delineation and measurement but cut across construction and monitoring, so its usefulness cannot be over emphasized.
The UNIZIK Don stated that a proposal is currently been prepared for the state government to look at how to monitor the three existing bridges in Awka where the help of a surveyor is needed to create an early warning system and be able to tell if there are motions and collapse.
Sharing experiences with newsmen, Surveyor Vincent Ojiaku noted that the experience have been fulfilling as there is no meaningful construction or establishment that do not need a surveyor at the initial stage even during the phase and at the final stage of the project so the activities have been creating impacts.
Ojiako urged that government to provide laws that will protect surveys at the site as it will help reduce the cause of attacks experienced during the discharge of duties.
Adding, the Head, Zonal Surveyors in Awka and also working with the ministry of Lands, Surveyor Rapheal Blessing, while stating the level of Quackery in the state urged with the state government, the office of the surveyor general and the Nigerian institute of surveys to ensure that before a registered number is issued there must be a submission of land sketch, take the beacon number, this, she stressed will minimise the activities of Quackery among the profession.
Also, speaking on the issue of Quackery, Surveyor Somtochukwu Onwuzuluigbo Practising in Awka said survey entails not just only measurement which these quacks does but more of a laboratory experiences and calculations. He suggested that sensitisation is key to tackling quackery. When people have that notion that a registered surveyor will be able to protect your work and deliver you when the needs arises.
Meanwhile, some of the special activities to mark the event was the football competition organised by the state chapter.