By Suday Iduh
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has called on the people of the state to ensure that they participate fully in the 2023 population and housing census and ensure that they are counted.
He called on the people to brace up, describing population census as very a important programme of government and plays important roles in planning to ensure development.
The governor made the call Wednesday during the Benue State Stakeholders Summit on the 2023 Population and Housing Census organized by the National Population Commission (NPC) in collaboration with the Benue State Government at the Benue Peoples House, Makurdi.
According to Governor Ortom, “Population is always considered when it comes to economic issues, support and help. Population census is a programme that is not peculiar to Nigeria alone. It is a global thing”
He congratulated the Commissioner in charge of Benue State, Mrs Patricia Kupchi for her commitment to the success of the 2023 census and assured that the state government remains committed to the success of the 2023 census.
“The right thing should done from the beginning to ensure that money was not spent in hiring lawyers for the census tribunal”
The governor advised that census issues should not be politicized. “We must treat the issues of census with the seriousness it deserve”
Governor Ortom who commended President Muhammadu Buhari for putting modalities for the conduct of elections and census the same year, appealed to the people of the state to avoid any thing that will bring crisis during the exercise but rather ask questions where things were not clear.
Speaking during the event, Chairman, National population commission, Nasir Kwarra said he was in Benue to ensure that all the necessary tools were available for the smooth conduct of the 2023 census. “It is an opportunity to engage the people of the state and other Nigerians to get the necessary feed backs for a successful census”
Kwarra commended the president Buhari for supporting the commission in the face of numerous challenges. He thanked the governor of Benue State for his sustained support, stating that the governor has always supported the activities of the commission.
The commissioner called on the people of the state to ensure that they come out enmass to be counted and urged the stakeholders to sustain their support to the Commission and assured that the commission was ready for the census.
The Tor Tiv, His Royal Majesty, Professor James Ayatse and Och’Idoma, His Royal Majesty, Elaigwu Odogbo in their separate remarks, said the traditional rulers in the state were fully carried along in the activities of NPC. They expressed confidence in the ability of NPC to conduct credible census and assured the commission of the necessary support that will ensure an undisputed census results
while urging the commission to ensure they recruit credible and capable hands for a seamless results.
On her part, the Commissioner in charge of Benue State, Mrs Patricia Kupchi explained that the commission was committed to providing the nation and indeed Benue State with accurate and reliable demographic data for policy formulation and planning for sustainable development.
“It is in realization of this that the National Population Commission has given practical demonstration to its commitment to generate data through the conduct of a Population and Housing Census in April this year”
She disclosed that, with the support of the Benue State Government, the traditional institution and the people of the State, the Commission was able to demarcate all the 23 Local Government Areas in the state with just some council wards left un-demarcated due to insecurity and internal boundary disputes.
Mrs Kupchi appealed to the state government, traditional and religious leaders, the organized private sector, civil society organization and the general public to extend maximum cooperation to the National Population Commission in the execution of the census project.
“It is the expectation of this administration that all stakeholders will play their expected roles towards the successful conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census”
The event which had in attendance NPC Commissioners from the six Geo Political Zones are in attendance witnessed good will messages from Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Chief Iman of Benue State, Association of Local Government in Nigeria (ALGON), civil societies among others.