Ikenna Aghaji, the Chairman, Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Abuja Branch, says the NIESV Open Golf Tournament will create more awareness for the sport and the association.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Aghaji made the remarks on Friday, in Abuja at the sidelines of the tee-off ceremony of the NIESV Abuja Chairman’s Open Golf Tournament.
The two-day tourney which got underway at the IBB International Golf and Country Club is expected to end on Saturday with presentation of prizes to the overall champion as well as winners in different categories.
The chairman told NAN that the tournament which was the first of its kind by the NIESV in Abuja was part of it advocacy and awareness campaign.
“This golf tourney is indeed the first of its kind organised by the NIESV Abuja branch and one of my strategies to rebrand and repackage our branch.
“It is also one of the ways in which we intend to carry out our advocacy activities by bringing sports and real estate together.
“We are aware that there are so many personalities who are involved in golf but do not know much about real estate.
“Even the elites look at estate surveyors and valuers as agents, but the truth is that we do much more than that.
“So, this is an opportunity for us to let the public know who we are and what we do, while we keep fit and enjoy the game of golf together,” he said.
R-L: Ikenna Aghaji, The NIESV Chairman, Abuja Branch, Emma Wike, the NIESV President, Nsima Ekere, Former Deputy Gov. of Akwa Ibom State and Chukwuemeka Ire-Okoli, Chairman, NIESV Board of Fellows during tee-off of the golf tourney.
Emma Wike, the NIESV President, on his part said it was a privilege to be part of the tournament, adding that he was also competing for honours, while ensuring the goal of the tournament was being achieved.
“I am happy to be here in Abuja. I came in from Port Harcourt yesterday (Thursday) and in spite of the fact that I am the president, I am also a golfer which means I am here to compete and win.
“This is the first time one of our branches is organising a golf tournament of this magnitude, even though at the national level we usually have our annual golf tournaments.
“But I give kudos to the Abuja Branch Chairman, his exco and the members for thinking out of the box to organise this golf tournament.
“One of the things we want to achieve is to educate the public on who really an estate surveyor and valuer is.
“So, we are starting with golf and I am sure that there are other sporting activities that we are going to organise in our various branches across the country to further drive home our advocacy message,” he said.
Julius Fadero, the Competition Secretary, IBB Golf Club, noted that the two-day tourney would see no fewer than 170 amateur golfers slugging it out for honours in a 18-hole stroke play format.
“The tourney promises to be very exciting and competitive as so many players have turned up in their numbers to compete for honours in the different handicap categories.
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“Everyone is expected to play 18 holes each over a two-day period and the players who post the lowest scores will emerge as winners in the various categories,” he said.
