Following the coming nation’s overdue census exercise, the National Population Commission, NPC, yesterday commenced the training of fifty-two field functionaries for its seventh phase of Enumeration Area Demarcation, EAD, in Anambra East Local Government Area for effective management of the country.
The training, which is simultaneously on-going in twenty-three states that have new Federal Commissioners appointed in November 2018, is expected to last for three days before the commencement of Enumeration Area Demarcation scheduled to take off next week Monday.
Briefing journalists shortly before the commencement of the training, the Acting Chairman, National Population Commission, Alhaji Hassan Bashir disclosed that the Commission presently had demarcated one hundred and twelve Local Government Areas in all the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory under the previous Enumeration Area Demarcation exercises adopting meticulous and gradual approach while at the end of the current EAD the Commission would have successfully demarcated one hundred and thirty-five LGAs while the remaining lGAs would be covered in subsequent exercise.
The Acting Chairman, who spoke through the state Federal Commissioner, Honourable, Chidi Ezeoke noted that aside the constructive opportunities to review the huge technical work done at every stage, serious budgetary setbacks have been responsible for the slow pace of preparations for the census exercise which according to him the nation is three years behind schedule after 2006 population and Housing census stating categorically that the EAD exercise is not the enumeration of persons living in the country and its outcome will not determine the population of any community.
While stating that after the demarcation exercises, future censuses will only be by updating exercise, Honourable Ezeoke revealed that the Commission has put in place adequate logistic arrangements for effective deployment of personnel and materials in the selected LGAs and solicited the assistance of Local Government Councils, traditional institutions as well as security agencies to support the EAD while appreciating the state government for its immeasurable support to the Commission.
While urging the trainees to ensure a cordial relationship with residents of all the communities to enable them gain facts and figures, the state Director, National Population Commission Mr Joeakin Ulasi stated that the outcome of the exercise will assist the Commission to have detailed data that will aid next year’s general census.
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