2023 census: 1, 057 facilitators, specialised workforce take oath of secrecy in Kogi

A total of 1,057 Specialised Workforce (SWF) facilitators, trainers, and National Population Commission (NPC) officials in Kogi have taken an Oath of secrecy in conducting the 2023 Census.

Out of the figure, 724 are Facilitator Trainees, 254 SWFs, 50 Trainers, 26 Data Quality Managers, the State Director, the State Training Coordinator and the State Field Coordinator, respectively.

Magistrate Abubakar Saiki, however, led the functionaries into the oath-taking ceremony held at the auditorium of the Federal University Lokoja (FUL).

Addressing the Participants, Prof. Habibat Isa-Jimoh, the Kogi NPC Federal Commissioner, reminded them of the importance of oath-taking to remain secretive and faithful to the cause of the census.

Isa-Jimoh urged them to ensure that ‘every resident of Kogi is counted irrespective of age and location within the state.”

“This is a digital and technology-driven census that is unique and different from what it was in the past. So must ensure everyone is counted and captured.

“The aged great grandfathers and mothers, no matter their frailty, and even a day old child must be counted and captured.

“As enumerators and officials, you must be sure of your figure in a particular location before entering it into the digital machine.

“This is because whatever information entered in the machine can’t be altered anymore, ” he warned.

The federal commissioner warned them against sharp practices during the exercise so that they would be monitored by teams of supervisors, who, in turn, are being monitored by the commission’s directors and quality assurance officers.

He further said, “any mistake you make will be corrected, and remember, you can’t cheat anybody just as you can’t be cheated, so be sincere and truthful with your work.”

The commissioner admonished residents of Kogi to ensure that they are counted because “if one person was not counted, it means the census is not complete or correct.”

“It’s our mandate to ensure that everybody is counted in Kogi to qualify the people of the state for any resource/benefit that will come from the centre – Federal government, ” Isa-Jimoh said.