Piqued by the rising insecurity challenges ravaging the country, members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday urged Federal Government to suspend the proposed 2021 population and housing census.
The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Hon Shehu Beji decried the plight of armless citizens facing myriad security challenges across the country.
On his lead debate, Hon Beji who observed that the Federal Government of Nigeria through the National Population Commission (NPC) has commenced preparations for the 2021 population and housing census across the country, underscored the need to halt the processes until normalcy returns.
“The House also notes that the state of insecurity in Nigeria has displaced numerous citizens who are duellers of the various communities to be captured in the exercise.
“The House observes that some displaced persons have crossed over to neighboring countries for refuge and cannot be captured if the census is to be conducted.
“The House further observes that with the overwhelming security challenges at hand, expecting accuracy in any census conducted now would be like passing an elephant through the eyes of a needle.
“The House worries that in the circumstance, a large chunk of Nigerians have fled their homes, while many others are being held under captive by kidnappers. As such, conducting such a census without them means infringing on their constitutional right.
“The House further worries that posting enumerators or Adhoc staff to volatile areas of the nation in the name of conducting census are irrational, as it would be like giving them out to criminals.
“The Hose cautions that conducting population and housing census in the current economic recession will only waste the hard-earned resources of this country as the outcome will be inconsequential.
“The House recalls: that past census conducted had yielded-controversial statistics for the nation as a result of partial coverage of. the actual population of the country which we must not be allowed to perpetuate.
“The House further observes that the precarious situation that has befallen our nation apparently informs the need to set priorities in governance. Thus, our priority should be titled towards a lasting solution to the killings, kidnapping and other criminal activities tormenting the nation.”
While noting that the House had in the same vein called on the President to declare a state of emergency on security to avert a possible impending calamity, Hon Beji stressed the need for Nigeria to change the narrative of data cooking of our national population as it threatens the accuracy of our national budgets.
“The House further observes that Nigeria’s presidential election is envisaged to commence and end within the first quota of the year 2023. As such, the whole of the preceding year (2022) would mostly be about campaigns, which have no room for census activities.
“The Hose emphasizes: that the overlapping effect of active political activities and the National headcount shall be prone to political manipulation by over-ambitious politicians.”
To this end, the House resolved to invite the NPC Chairman to clarify issues on the feasibility of conducting census in the face of the security challenges and mandated the relevant committee to inquire into the work plans of the National Population Commission with regards to the census exercise.
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