BODE GBADEBO writes on the efforts of the National Assembly to ensure that the Federal Government conducts another population census 10 years after the last exercise.A decade after the last national population and housing census in the country, precisely in the year 2006, there is apparently no visible plan to conduct another exercise this year as it is the global practice, hence the intervention of the National Assembly given the importance of census in the areas of national planning and development.Consequently, on Tuesday, October 18, 2016, the Senate at plenary re-echoed the call on President Muhammadu Buhari to proclaim 2018 as population and housing census year.The Senate accordingly called on the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the National Population Commission (NPC), Ministry of Budget and National Planning and other relevant supervisory agencies to make adequate provision in the coming 2017 Budget for the exercise as a critical prerequisite to achieving the 2018 population census.The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion jointly sponsored by Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi (APC, Kaduna), who is the chairman of Senate Committee on National Identity and National Population, and four other lawmakers.While moving the motion, Senator Hunkuyi said since Section 153 (1) of the third schedule to the 1999 Constitution empowered the NPC to undertake the production of demographic, socio-economic and health data through the conduct of census, surveys and vital statistics like registration of births, deaths, migration, etc., the commission should be mobilised by the Federal Government to carry out its constitutional mandate ten years after the last exercise as recommended by the United Nations (UN).He called for the appropriation of adequate funds for NPC in the 2017 budget in readiness for the exercise, saying inadequate funds for the preparation process towards the earlier planned 2016 population census appropriated by the National Assembly in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Appropriations with very poor cash backing, resulted in the failure to carry out the exercise this year.According to him, the Presidential Proclamation, which is a prerequisite commitment for the takeoff of a census exercise, when made, will facilitate donations for the exercise by international donor agencies.Senator John Enoh (PDP Cross River), who seconded the motion, said all issues that made previous head counts in the country contentious should be addressed ahead of the proposed 2018 exercise.For his part, Senator Akpan Bassey (PDP, Akwa Ibom), said the exercise was very necessary as far as indices for national planning and development were concerned since according to him, If you fail to plan, you have planned to fail.Also speaking in support of the motion, Senator Jibrin Barau (APC, Kano), said census exercise is pre-requisite to robust planning by any nation driving towards development.This motion should be seen as a wakeup call for us all by ensuring that adequate money is provided for the exercise in the 2017 and 2018 budgets, Barau added.In his remarks after passing the motion, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the session, said Nigeria must take advantage of relevant technological innovations in ensuring accurate head count in 2018 and avoiding a repeat of the disputed exercise of the past.We must ensure that every Nigerian should be counted and results released later should tally with census taken, he noted.Incidentally, same day, the Senate began the process of considering the requests of President Buhari on the confirmation of nominations of five new Commissioners for the National Population Commission in accordance with Sections 153 and 154 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).This is aimed at making the commission function at optimum capacity and efficiently in the discharge of its duties.The NPC commissioner-nominees are Dr. Eyitayo Oyetunji (Oyo State); Barr. Kupchi Patricia Iyaya (Benue); Engr. Benedict Ukpong (Akwa Ibom); Dr. Halliru Bala (Kebbi) and Gloria Izonfuo (Bayelsa).Accordingly, the five nominees have been referred to the Senate Committee National Identity and National Population respectively for screening ahead of their confirmation.Recall that the Council of State had earlier ratified the appointments of the commissioners.It is noteworthy that before the last weeks Senates position on the national population and housing census, LEADERSHIP recall that the House of Representatives had on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 called on the President to issue a proclamation in respect of holding the census exercise earlier in 2017.The House also urged the NPC to continue its exploits in technology utilization to reduce cases of irregularities and controversies in such exercises.The Green Chamber then had aslo regretted that the proposed 2016 population and housing census was no longer feasible owing largely to challenges of funding and logistics.Without prejudice to which resolution of the National Assembly the President will choose to comply with, the year 2017 may be too close and there may not be enough time to re-allocate adequate funds for the planning of the exercise in the 2016 budget. While the 2018 proposal looks feasible given the ample time, which will afford government the opportunity to make adequate preparationsmoney and logistics wise.
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