By Alhaji Abolade Mudathir Akinkunmi J.P
Sir: Let’s recall that some highly placed, kind-hearted eminent Nigerians, private companies, federal and state governments, to mention a few, were reported to have donated generously to alleviate the hardship, suffering, facing Nigerian citizens, most especially, the less privileged citizens, as a result of the appropriate and timely measures, taken by governments on the Covid-19 pandemic. I refer here to the lockdown orders to curb or ward off the spread of the corona virus pandemic.
Going by the 2006 National Population and Housing census results that were released, approved and the projected figures, Nigerians are about 200million, or over, from ages zero to infinity. Less than one million, I guess, are the high-end or affluent.
Already, some Nigerians have raised their voices, claiming that the expected palliative measures had not been felt or reached them. Perhaps, they were being impatient. I suggest earnestly that there should be a review of the distribution protocol.
Given that, there might be many methodologies, systems or approaches that could be applied in the distribution network, however some of these systems might not have been tested and proven to be adequate for political, selfish and socio-cultural reasons.
For instance, some people might, in fact, have been clamouring for the use of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) database and her apparatuses in the distribution process. However, we should remember that INEC database stored the bio-data, inter alia, of Nigerians of 18 years and above, but not zero (0)-18years, by law.
Another group of Nigerians suggested a religious approach in which our supposed pious men, such as sheiks, imams, pastors, reverends and traditional worshipers, babalawos etc., should be allowed to handle, or be solely involved in the distribution process.
This approach, in my humble view, might introduce prejudice. Similarly, the use of community elders might also not be fair, because of the different age-group brackets that might want a particular age-group to have a priority over other brackets; and thus short-change others.
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Having thoroughly examined and analysed the ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ of these and other plausible approaches, my suggestion is that the National Population Commission (NPC) updated bio-data in her data-base, but updated regularly through well designed, systematic, scientifically proven, vital registration statistical surveys, could be rightly and conveniently used in the equitable distribution of the Covid-19 palliative materials, money, food and any other items now and in future.
The reasons are not far-fetched: NPC usually designed her data capture, structure forms to start from the household level, which is the smallest, lowest unit in the conduct of population and housing census(es).
At this level, the name and other bio-data of the head of the household are captured first before the other members. All these captured stored data are aggregated at the locality levels, within each Local Government Area (LGA). Sequentially, all the data captured at the LGAs are aggregated upward to the State Level (SL).
The state levels data would be summed up to give the national, final population census data. At the national level, and in fact including LGA and state levels, the data are kept secured through the inbuilt data-tracking scientifically proven, internationally standard and acceptable routines and sub-routines.
Some of the NPC technical and non-technical staff were internally and externally trained. They attended also workshops, seminars and conferences at different fora, within and outside the country.
I appeal to the LGA, states and federal government to consider and adopt the database of the NPC if only to ensure equitable distribution of Covid-19 palliatives to Nigerians.
- Alhaji Abolade Mudathir Akinkunmi J.P aboladeakin@gmail.com
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