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Tag: 2016 census

  • Buhari yet to decide on 2016 census

    Buhari yet to decide on 2016 census

    President Muhammadu Buhari is yet to give his consent on the 2016 census, National Population Commission (NPC) Commissioner representing Edo State Dr. Tunde Lakoju, said yesterday.

      Speaking in Abuja on behalf of NPC’s Chairman Chief Eze Duruiheoma (SAN) after meeting with other state commissioners, he said: “Preparation for our census is a critical element, so we have been working on this. Until President Buhari gives his consent, we will not know if census will take place or not. But as a commission, we need to prepare.”

    Chief Duruiheoma in 2014 said to conduct a credible and successful 2016 population census, the commission would need N100 billion.

    The commission, Lakoju said, is ready whenever resources are available.

    His words: “We have given a budget to President Buhari, and he is reviewing it. Part of the declaration he is going to do is to first certify that the money we are asking for he has it, and it is when he is sure he has that money and the environment is safe for census to be conducted that he will give his consent.

    “We are working on the area demarcation. We have done one local government in each of the states. What we are doing is to critically review what was done, the challenges we had in the field so when we get allocation again we will be moving into the field to do the next stage of the demarcation.

    “The commission is ready. For almost two years we have been working on our preparatory activities…  You know the census is an extremely robust thing in terms of funding.”

    On the employment saga at the commission, Lakoju said: “We took a look at the employment that we are trying to conclude that is the replacement. We lost a lot of staff by death, some by resignation, and some by retirement. We were given a waiver and that is what we are trying to do but we noticed as a commission that there were some irregularities in the activities and in the course of that after we have looked at it and deliberated extensively and we thought we should step it down the process and we set up a committee to look at all the ramification and then go ahead and re-issue letters to those who we think have met the criteria.

    “We have a letter from the Federal Character Commission (FCC), and another from the head of Service. The numbers we were given and the irregularities happened and they went beyond the numbers and we do not want any scandal and because of that we ask our committee to look into it.”

  • 2016 census: NPC begins area demarcation in Kwara

    Ahead of the 2016 national census, the National Population Commission (NPC) on Monday commenced enumeration and area demarcation in Kwara State.

    NPC kicked off the exercise in lsin Local government area of the state.

    Speaking at the event, the NPC federal commissioner in the state, Alhaji Abubakar Ndakene, said the commission would be meticulous in carrying out the exercise.

    Ndakene said the exercise constitutes the foundation on which the entire census architecture relied upon.

    He said the commission is committed to getting the exercise right by delivering an accurate, reliable and acceptable census for the country.

    He urged the 16 local government councils in the state, traditional institution and communities to support the commission in carrying out the exercise

     

  • NPC to spend N100bn on 2016 census

    The National Population Commission on Wednesday announced that it would spend N100 billion on the conduct of national census in 2016.

    The Chairman of the commission, Mr. Eze Duruiheoma, announced this at a news conference in Abuja.

    He said the security situation in the country would not deter the commission from conducting the census.

    He said the commission was thinking positively that the security situation in the country would improve before 2016.

    Duruiheoma said the new conference was part of efforts to mobilise and sensitise Nigerians on the importance of the 2016 census.

    “Proper understanding of what the nation stands to gain and what it is expected to lose if not conducted, will help in forging consensus and support base for the census.’’

    The NPC chief said the demographic profile of any country was not static as it was expected to change considerably over a period of ten years.

    He said accurate and reliable census would drive the transformation process at all stages.

    “For this data to serve its purpose, it must be current and reflect the present realities of the Nigerian people.

    “Conducting the 2016 census therefore becomes the only option for the country to obtain comprehensive and up to date information on the Nigerian people,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted Duruiheoma as saying at the briefing.

    He said with President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive to achieve 100 per cent in the vital registration by 2015, the commission had embarked on the registration of births and deaths in the country.

     

  • Arewa to CAN: Promote peaceful co-existence among Nigerians

    The pan northern socio-political organization, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has taken a swipe at the the Christian Association of Nigeria, saying the organization owe it a responsibility to encourage peaceful and harmonious co-existence in the country.

    In a statement made available to The Nation on Friday in Kaduna, the ACF said CAN should be working hard to overcome what divide the people and not to promote cleavages along ethnic and religious lines.

    Reacting to CAN statement on its advice to the Federal Government to reconsider its position on the 2016 national census, the ACF said its view on the issue was misunderstood by the Christian body.

    The statement reads “the attention of the ACF has been drawn to reports credited to CAN in which the religious body expressed its displeasure over the ACF’s call on the Federal Government to reconsider its decision to allow the 2016 census to be conducted under the watch of Chief Festus Odimegwu.

    “And so, given the apparent misunderstanding of ACF’s positions on this issue of national importance, it has become necessary to issue this press release in order to dispel any misconceptions arising from ACF communiqué.

    “The new NPC chairman, since assumption of duty, has repeatedly said the census exercises from 1816 to 2006 have not been done with the best of intentions as a result of undue manipulations to favour some sections of the country. More so that data on religion and ethnicity were not included. Consequently, the NPC would go as far as efforts could go to make corrections in 2016.

    “Many people and groups reacted by saying such statements by the chairman would make many Nigerians conclude that the outcome of 2016 census would be work from the answers, thereby generating avoidable controversies that will be unhelpful. What is more, religion and ethnicity, being emotive issues, will compel adherents not to accept results that do not favour them.

    “In addition, since census figures are for planning and management of socio-economic development, and not for promotion of religion and ethnicity, the inclusion of such data will be superfluous, besides generating avoidable controversies.”