The National Population Commission (NPC) has said the postponement of the 2023 Population and Housing Census was for the sake of peace and unity and not due to insufficient funds, as widely believed by critics.
The Commission explained that contrary to such insinuations, the NPC postponed the census exercise to save Nigeria from a national crisis.
The Federal Commissioner in Anambra State, Mr. Chidi Ezeoke, made this disclosure on Friday during a one-day breakfast meeting with stakeholders in Awka, the state capital.
The Commissioner said, “The Census exercise was earlier scheduled for May 3-7, 2023, but was postponed,
giving rise to many insinuations in the public space regarding the reason for the postponement and these even though are mere speculations had been given much media attention.
“The Commission is compelled to take necessary steps to correct the impression that the 2023 Population and Housing Census is postponed because of lack of funds.
“The real reason is not lack of money, but government’s transition programme and post-election mood in the country.
We all saw the cloud of uncertainty that hung above the nation after the elections and were careful not to fall into some pitfalls and plunge the country into more trouble. We cannot take things for granted, and decided to postpone the exercise,” he informed.
The Commissioner expressed optimism that the postponement of the national census would afford the new administration, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prepare adequately for the exercise.
“We are using the opportunity offered by this postponement to re-assess our Census Work-plan and to inject any input that would add value to the strategies for implementing the methodology for optimal success.
“We need to reassure you that the coming Census will not be like the previous exercises which were marred by incidences of undercounting, multiple counting and inaccurate enumeration leading to lack of trust in the census data and making it difficult to use for planning and development purposes.
“We have also put some measures in the process to curtail incidences of political interferences with the census process”
Mr. Ezeoke, thank the state governor, Chukwuma Soludo for ensuring a conducive environment for NPC officers across the 21 council areas of the state.
The Anambra State Director of the NPC, Dr. Joachim Ulasi, on his part, noted that all the buildings, including Churches, Mosque, eatery centres, pauntry farms, chopping complexes and hotels across the 21 local government areas of the state has been adequately enumerated for the exercise.
He urged the people of the state to cooperate and support the Commission to enable it achieve it’s goals.