Surveyors task new fellows on values, service

Newly inducted fellows of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) have been urged to hold on tenaciously to the values of the profession.

Besides, they have also been advised to be dedicated to the service of the institution and the profession.

Giving advice during the recognition of new fellows by the  NIS’ Lagos Body of Fellows, past presidents of the institution, Reverend (Dr.) Bosun Ayinde and Professor Francis  Fajemirokun said they must realise that they are representing the association whenever they go.

Fajemirokun appealed to them not to let the profession down, urging them to maintain a high standard of integrity, which he said manifested in their selection as fellows of NIS.

Speaking about values, Ayinde, who doubles as a guest speaker, described values as basic and fundamental beliefs that guide people’s attitudes and motivate their actions.

“They help us determine what is important to us as individuals, as surveyors, and especially as fellows of the institution. Values describe the personal qualities we choose to embody to guide our actions. Values are the total net worth of each one of us,” he said.

While urging the new fellows on the need to dedicate themselves to the service of the profession, Ayinde pointed out that true service is the key to greatness.

According to him, the greatest attraction of service was the sheer challenge of it, which encompassed the struggle to find solutions to the issues of the day and seeking solutions to complex issues.

“Service is not for non-thinkers. True service is about meeting the needs of the people one is appointed to serve.

“Service is not about the position being occupied; it’s about the responsibility attached to the position. Truly, abuse of office is the result of a clear misunderstanding of the purpose for which those offices are set up. True service is the key to greatness,” he said.

As elders and leaders of the profession, he said, they must realize that there are limits to which one should not go and a line they must not cross no matter how highly privileged they have become.

The past president said: “One cannot exercise power beyond the authority conferred on one’s office or position. This is why you must study and understand the constitution of the institution and the instrument that sets up the Board of Fellows under the present dispensation.

“You must study these documents along with the bylaws not only to guide your own conduct but, more importantly, to call others to order when they tend to overstep their bounds.

“Under our constitution, state branches have their own constitutions by which they operate, albeit consistent with the NIS Constitution. When you know your boundaries, you would not need to remind anyone who you are or what office you are holding.”

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“As I look back over my 46 years as an officer of the institution, I can say that some of the core values of our institution are: selflessness, sacrifice, accountability, honesty, integrity, mutual respect, professionalism, excellence, our tradition, and decorum,” Ayinde said.

Responding on behalf of the newly recognized fellows, the Surveyor-General of Lagos State, Mr Sangowawa Ajose, thanked NIS’ Lagos Body of Fellows, promising that they would be good ambassadors of the institution.

“We will not let the institution down; we will move the institution to the 21st century,” he said.

Earlier, the Chairman, Lagos Body of Fellows, Prince Afolabi Solesi, tasked the new fellows with integrity and service to the profession.