Data, money will be lost if census is not conducted — NPC

The Nigerian Population Commission disclosed on Saturday that it can do little until President Bola Tinubu consents to the commencement of the general census.

The population and housing census, initially scheduled for 2022, was postponed by former President Muhammadu Buhari as it coincided with electioneering campaigns for the 2023 general elections.

The exercise was eventually suspended indefinitely by Buhari, a few days before leaving office, stating that he would allow Tinubu to announce new dates for the headcount.

However, one year after assuming office, the President has yet to announce a new date.

PUNCH Online reported that about ₦200 billion was expended by the NPC Chairman, Nasir Kwarra, on preparations for the aborted 2023 population and housing census.

Speaking at the award ceremony of the Urhobo Leadership Forum held in Abuja on Saturday, a Federal Commissioner of the NPC, Mrs. Blessing Brume-Ataguba, confirmed that the commission was indeed waiting for the President’s approval to commence the exercise.

She said, “If you recall, the previous administration of Muhammadu Buhari planned to have the census but had to shelve it because it fell within the same period as the general elections. He thought it wise to postpone it so as not to overload Nigerians with tasks. But as things stand today, we are primed for the census and waiting for President Bola Tinubu to make the proclamation.

“We have already constituted the security committee and our chairman, Nasir Isa-Kwarra, is a joint chairman with the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu. We are now working to constitute the security committee in the states. So we are on course.

“We are going to have the most digitalised census ever. We have already done the enumeration for every part of Nigeria. We have already categorised all the houses, areas and households. We are ready to go. We just need a little more time to do the recruitment and training for the ad hoc staff.”

According to her, they were almost 80 per cent ready for the process before the previous administration pulled the plug on the exercise.

The commissioner, who received a posthumous award in honour of her father, Senator Fred Brume, also acknowledged that arrangements have been concluded to digitalise the anticipated census exercise.

“Well, we understand there is money for it. The President is keeping everything close to his chest. But rest assured that at some point, we will have the population census. The last time we had a similar exercise was in 2006. So we are long overdue for it. This is why I am very confident it will commence soon because we are making all the right preparations.

“Before it was postponed last year, we were 80 per cent ready. Unfortunately, some of the work we did before it was cancelled will have to be repeated. If Nigeria fails to carry on with it, we might lose a lot of data because we have invested so much money in the process,” she stated.

Earlier in his speech, President of the Urhobo Leadership Forum, Peter Igho, lamented the lack of inclusion of their people in federal appointments.

Igho said that for a region that works assiduously for the peace and growth of the country, they deserve more than what they are being accorded.

He said, “While our solidarity grows and we contribute to the national experience, we must also demand equity and justice for our people and land. What we seek is our due share in the Nigerian collective. Often the loudest voices, not always the most deserving, are the ones called to the table.

“However, we the peaceful Urhobo people deserve to be heard and listened to. Our under-representation in the institutions of the state has become legendary.

“Even in parastatals located in our homelands, executive control is in the hands of non-local manpower. The unfortunate situation would not normally be allowed in other jurisdictions.

“We are concerned about the general degradation in the quality of public life over the years. We note that this not only transpires at the federal level but also at the sub-national level where a great haemorrhage of our resources continues to take place. This has been a horror story that must be stopped.”