No definite date for conduct of census ― NPC

THE National Population Commission (NPC), on Wednesday, stated that there was no definite date for the conduct of next census as non-availability of funds still remains the major challenges.

Chairman of the commission, Chief Eze Duruiheoma (SAN), who stated this in his office in Abuja, while receiving the newly inaugurated Federal Commissioners by President Muhammadu Buhari, said the challenge is still money.

According to him, “we know for sure that there will be a next census, but when I cannot tell. For the first time, we are looking at enumeration and demarcation of enumeration areas. We are looking at it from the point of view of its contribution to a successful census.

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“In the past, it was something that was put together with the census procedure. We now decide to look at it and solve that problem ahead of census, so that by the time we go into census it will be an easier task. So, we have done a lot. The next census is going to be different from other census conducted in the past. That is part of the reform.

“We can do more with better funding. The new commissioners should know that their primary responsibility is to the nation, so everything should be looked at from the point of view of the interest of the nation and not state affair. There so many fundamental problems here and these problems can only be solved by people. So their coming onboard will assist.” He affirmed.

Chief Duruiheoma then advised the new federal commissioners to be more committed to the development of the commission.

“It means that we have a full complement. The commission was structured to take 37 commissioners and for more than one year now we have been operating with about 14 commissioners, so this is an opportunity to boost the workforce.” He added.

The Federal Commissioner, representing Kano State, Mr Sulaiman Lawal, who spoke on behalf of others, assured the chairman of commissioners’ commitments and total support to the good cause of the commission.

Mr Lawal, therefore, called for cooperation from his colleagues to make the NPC successful.