2018 Census: Senate Committee Visits NPC, NIMC Calls for Actions
The Senate Committee on National Identity and National Population under the leadership of Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi has called for effective actions that will lead to conduct of credible and acceptable census in 2018.
Senator Hunkuyi who made this known why answering questions from journalists over his committee's visit to offices and sites of National Population Commission and National Identity Management Commission, NIMC said the visit became necessary in order to ascertain what is on ground ahead of the census in 20
Hunkuyi and his committee members at Abuja NPC permanent site under construction
He said "the constitution gives the legislators power of appropriation and oversight."
According to him, after appropriation, there is need to check whether what was appropriated was properly utilized or not.
He said it is in view of that the members of his committee decided to visit offices and project sites of organizations under the Senate committee on National Identity and National Population to particularly see how they are collaborating and preparing for the census in 2018.
Hunkuyi said he moved a motion recently calling on Mr. President to make a proclamation on the 2018 Census in order to commence full preparation for the census
Hunkuyi and his committee members at NIMC data recovery centre, Minna, Niger State where there are a lot of dilapidated equipment and tools
"We moved a motion seeking Mr President to make a proclamation for the census.
"This will make every stakeholder interested in the census to come up and thereby makes all relevant bodies to begin full preparation for the census."
"According to United Nations Organization, census supposed to be conducted in every ten years," Hunkuyi said
He said the last census conducted in Nigeria was in 2006 which means census was supposed to be conducted in 2016 but there was no adequate preparation.
Hunkuyi and his committee members who visited NPC and NIMC offices and sites in FCT, Abuja; Kaduna and Niger State called for serious and sincere commitment to national development.
He said what they saw on the ground is an indication that a lot of things need to be done and put in place.
Hunkuyi who represents Kaduna North Senatorial District in the Senate, specifically mandated the National Identity Management Commission and National Population Commission to collaborate in order to have a reliable data base that Nigeria can rely on for development.
He called on NPC and NIMC to also collaborate with Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC for similar purpose.
Hunkuyi and his committee members at NIMC Permanent site in Kaduna
Hunkuyi and his committee members at NPC Kaduna where they discovered obsolete and non-functioning data processing machines
Parts of the areas visited were NPC temporary offices and their permanent site in Mabuchi, Abuja which is still under construction as well as NPC office in Kaduna. Others include NIMC National Secretariat in Abuja and their Data Recovery Centre in Minna, Niger State as well as NIMC temporary and permanent sites in Kaduna.
Hunkuyi said efforts are being made to check whatever is going on in all the offices and sites of NPC and NIMC across the country.