By Musa Yaro, Calabar
The Federal Commissioner of the National Population Commission in Cross River State, Captain Charles Ogwa (Rtd), says the 2023 population and housing census is not canceled as insinuated by a section of the media.
Briefing newsmen in Calabar, Wednesday, Ogwa stated that it was rather postponed to give room for the incoming government to participate actively in the generation of the said data towards the improvement of the living standards of the citizenry.
“The census, particularly the enumeration of people billed from May 3-7, was postponed, not canceled.
“Nigeria is lucky to be selected as one of the nations in the world to have conducted a census before December 2024, therefore we cannot cancel any census.
“The commission was and is still technically prepared and ready to conduct the population and housing census when any date is taken. We have gone far and achieved 80% of the preparations to conduct a reliable and agreeable census,” the NPC state federal commissioner explained.
He maintained that every activity of the census starting from the enumeration area demarcation for all the 18 LGAs in the state, testing of instruments to be used as well as the trial census, the deployment of high technology, e-recruitment of ad hoc staff, training of facilitators and opening of situation rooms have all been done.
Explaining further, Ogwa rhetorically asked, “If we generate this data, which government will use it? It will be the incoming government that will use it and they could give doubt on it if they are not participants in the generation of that data.
“That’s the wisdom in the President as he said, let the next administration take a date and conduct the census because they are main users of the data that will be collected towards the improvement of the living standards of Nigerians,”
The Commissioner enjoined the people of the state not to be discouraged by the postponement of the exercise or begin to think that it will no longer hold.
“There is always a blessing in every disappointment. This postponement will give us time to address some raised issues mostly with the compendium of localities and that will also minimize litigation in Cross River State come next census,” he advised.
Ogwa also assured that the commission is ever ready to conduct a digital census that will generate reliable and acceptable data that will be used to plan Cross River State by any government.
