Census: Again, NPC decries non-involvement of Cross River government

 

For the second consecutive time, the Federal Commissioner representing Cross River state on the Board of the National Population Commission (NPC) Navy Captain Charles Ogwa (rtd), has decried the refusal of the state government to identify with activities of the commission in the state. 

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The commissioner said this in Calabar, Tuesday, during the State Level Capacity Building Workshop for Journalists on Effective Reporting of the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

Navy Captain Ogwa had, few months ago, appealed to Governor Ben Ayade to, just like other governors, identify with the commission as it prepares to conduct the first ever digital Population and Housing Census in the country.

With the appeal seemingly falling on deaf ears, Ogwa again said the decision of the state government to distance itself from the exercise could impact the citizens psychologically but assured that the census would be conducted despite this anomaly.

“Despite all entreaties and letters to the Cross River state government, it has refused to identify with us. Support is not only about funding, support could be just coming around during our activities so as to boost the morale of the people thereby sending a message that this is a serious business,” he stated.

He called on all Cross Riverians to cooperate with NPC staff in the field adding: “Nigeria’s next election Population and Housing Census will be fully digital and will be conducted in accordance with the United Nations Principles and Recommendations for 2020 Programme on Population and Housing Censuses.

“The Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) has been accomplished using GPS-enabled PDAs Big Data and other geospatial resources such as high resolution satellite imageries that facilitated the collection of fully geo-referenced data on all buildings and household in the country.

“If we get it right, Nigeria will not be doing an elaborate census again but will be doing update to what we would have achieved during the 2023 exercise. Population should be about people and not as number for political reason,” he stated.