“We are tired of being given estimates and I believe that the next population census would provide a credible and reliable census for Nigeria,” Akwa Ibom Deputy Governor emphasized.
Moses Ekpo stated this, while addressing officers of the National Population Commission at the Phase 11 Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) camp held at Abak Local Government Council hall.
Ekpo noted that no nation can make any meaningful development without a proper and reliable census figure, stating “You cannot develop with guesswork, you plan with actual numbers.’’
The Deputy Governor said unless there was proper EAD, those doing the real census would find it difficult to count, adding that the work of the EAD Officials was absolute of great importance for the good of the nation.
He said that during his time, the commission for the first time had sworn to produce a credible figure of the number of people in Nigeria, rather than depend on estimates from international organizations, in order to fast track development.
According to him, for a very long time after the British Census, no census in Nigeria had ever been accepted even by Nigerians.
“The success, the credibility of any census for any country largely depends on the pains you have taken to ensure the Enumeration Area Demarcation is absolutely correct and right,” Ekpo observed.
He reasoned that no nation can develop by guess-work or estimates as the government has to depend on accurate census figures to plan for the development of the country or state.
He, therefore, commended the NPC officials for making a sizeable contribution to Nigeria’s development by paying attention to the details.
A former Federal Commissioner with the National Population Commission, Ekpo was emphatic that given the challenge of the nation’s population and the need for accurate data for planning, the present exercise has become very germane to the issue of development in Nigeria.
The deputy governor urged the Enumeration Area Demarcation Officials to be diligent with their work as it could “make or unmake Nigeria,” assuring that the Akwa Ibom State government was keen in the success of the exercise in the state.
“We are not living any stone unturned, we will not stop supporting the Commission to succeed,” he stated.
Ekpo also noted that Akwa Ibom has been under-counted for years and drew attention to the industrial revolution in the state as well as the free education policy of the State Government which he explained has attracted many foreigners to the state.
The Federal Commissioner, National Population Commission, Akwa Ibom State, Benedict Ukpong announced that 10 phases of the EAD exercise have so far been successfully executed in the State covering 11 local government areas with enormous support from the state government.
Ukpong an engineer said the Commission at the national level has taken adequate steps to carry out the demarcation exercise in preparation for the next Population and Housing Census in the country.
The Commissioner, however, appealed for support from the State government and other stakeholders to successfully carry out the Phase 11 of the exercise covering Abak, Etim Ekpo and Ika Local Government Areas.
He stated that the remaining phases 12 to 17 would commence from January 29 to August 30, 2021.
Speaking, Amanam Nkanga, an Elder in a church and Special Adviser on Political and Social Re-orientation, urged the officers of NPC to be thorough with the exercise in the State and leave nothing to chance.
