September 26, (THEWILL) – The National Population Commission has urged the Cross River State government to take ownership of the 2023 pre-census activities in the state.
The Federal Commissioner representing Cross River in the NPC, Navy Captain Charles Ogwa (Rtd), made the plea in Calabar during the State Stakeholder Summit.
The summit, themed, “Getting People Involved”, also featured the presentation of the Strategy and Implementation Plan For the 2023 Population and Housing Census.
He described census as serious business, which should not be left to the Federal Government alone.
“You can see that at the national level, the Federal Government has taken ownership of the census. The government has given massive support to the commission towards the conduct of a successful census.
“Our international partners have also taken ownership of it because a census has serious implications for development in the world.
“But in Cross River State, the government is shying away from taking ownership of this census. Support is not only about funding; the state government’s interest and presence matter a lot.
“We are not saying that states should fund it, the Federal Government and its development partners are already funding it,” he said.
He said the EAD was a huge success in the state and assured stakeholders that the NPC is committed to conducting a credible census in the state that meets international standards.
On his part, Bassey Eteng, the State Director of the NPC said the census is everybody’s business and “we must take ownership of it for the good of our state.”
He said this underscored why the NPC deemed it necessary to have this robust and informed conversation on the processes and procedures for the 2023 census.
About the Author
THEWILL Correspondent, Aniekan Bassey has over six years experience that spans across several fields in print journalism including development communication, sexual reproductive and health rights issues, crime, climate change, social justice, business and human interest stories.
