State Advocacy, Logistics Committee Sensitises Traditional Institution, Others To Census Preparation
….says everyone must be counted
The State Committee on Advocacy, and Logistics, for successful 2023 National Population and Housing Census has continued with the visits to Local Governments for enlightenment and inauguration of Local Government Committees towards ensuring a reliable, acceptable and successful census.
The itinerary included visit to Dukku Emir’s Palace, Gona Emir’s Palace and Gombe Local Government where a lot of enthusiastic stakeholders turn up to receive the Members.
The Chairman of the Committee and Deputy Governor of Gombe State, Dr Manassah Daniel Jatau, noted with emphasis the need for all hands to be on deck towards achieving the purpose of arriving at the needed statistics that will help administrators and economic planners to get effective and efficient planning mechanisms.
He said, “Conducting Census is not a new thing in Nigeria, but our people need to be reminded on the benefits attached to knowing the total population of our communities, Local Governments, states, and the Country as a whole. It is the idea of how many people live in a place at a particular point in time that help those responsible for provision of amenities to really allocate the resources commiserate with their needs and numbers.
“As the Chairman of the Committee, I want to assure you that our administration is fully in support of the census activities and shall give the necessary backing to the commission to succeed.”
In his own remarks in all places visited, the Honourable Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General Hon. Zubairu Mohammed Umar, who is the Deputy Chairman of the Committee explained that the Committee was in their localities to sensitize the public on the importance of the exercise and the need for all and sundry to be fully involved in providing awareness to others and participating in the process.
He said, after the Census exercise it is expected that the peculiarities and particular needs of the populace are captured to help the Government in planning for it’s people.
He noted such peculiarities as the number of males and females, the languages spoken, age differences, among others, but not one’s tribal or religious inclination as those two have no relevance in assisting towards planning.
The Commissioner of justice further explained that the Committee was visiting the palaces to solicit the support of Traditional Rulers, and the rest of the people, as well as to inaugurate the local Government Committees who will continue to mobilise support for a successful census.
The Federal Commissioner, National Population Commission, Hon. Abubakar Mohammed Danburam, answering some questions from the gathering said, the Census forms contained over seventy questions which must be answered either by the person counted or by the head of the household in case of infants and those who may not speak.
He also explained that, everybody should be counted where they are resident, so that people don’t need to travel to their home and state of origins.
Speaking separately in Dukku Local Government Headquarters and Akko Town, Akko Local Government, the Emir of Dukku, Alh.Haruna Abdulkadir Rasheed, and Lamido of Gona, Umaru Abdulkadir Abdulsalam assured of their councils fullest support for a successful census.
They pledge to work harmoniously with their District and Village Heads and with the State and Local Government Committees to ensure the exercise is successful.
In Gombe, the Senior District Head of Gombe, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abubakar, said they have always been very supportive to government policies and programmes of the Government, pledging to support this census exercise for the benefit of their people.
Wilson Jonah Yakubu
Press secretary/ Information Officer,
Deputy Governor’s Office.
