Be fair with 2018 census, Ajimobi tasks NPC

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has enjoined the National Population Commission (NPC) to take note of the peculiar nature of the rural communities and ensure that necessary modalities are put in place to guarantee objectivity and fairness in the 2018 census, saying that any error will undermine the integrity of the exercise.

The governor stated this at the flag-off of the 3^rd phase of the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) for the 2018 population and housing census at Igbeti Town Hall, Olorunsogo Local Govt.

Senator Ajimobi explained that the census figures returned for the State over the years did not appear to give a fair reflection of the demography of the state, adding that Oyo State has a large expanse of land area with considerable population.

Governor Ajimobi, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matter, Mr. Bimbo Kolade, emphasized that the issues of population and housing census are important tools in social and economic configuration, noting that they are important indices on the development chart that reveal the potency for economic activities as well as guide developmental initiatives.

The governor urged the NPC to guide against error of omission or commission, “if a State is under enumerated or the tools for demarcation processes are mismanaged to give wrongful indications, it would affect the integrity of the final census figures. It also has debilitating effects on the development planning and resources to be made available for the well-being and the development of the State.”

Governor Ajimobi appealed to the stakeholders and people in the State to cooperate with the enumerators by allowing them to move freely, give them access to their buildings/housing units and respond truthfully to their inquiries during the demarcation to have a fruitful exercise.

In his remark, the Chairman and Federal Commissioner for National Population Commission, Dr. Eyitayo Oyetunji said that the commission was ready to inform, enlighten, create awareness and sensitize various stakeholders and the general public in the State on the 3^rd phase of the enumeration area demarcation of the 2018 population and housing census which will commence from 20^th February to 12^th March 2017.

According to Dr. Oyetunji, “EAD is the division of the country into small units that can be conveniently covered by a pair of enumerators during the census period. It is not real population census but preparatory activities for the census exercise and vehicle that drives the entire census process in the pre-census, actual enumeration and post-census period.

“The commission is deploying the use of Geographical Information System (GIS) compliance, high resolution satellite imagery and personal digital assistance (PDA) so that there won’t be room for un-demarcated and duplicated,” he stressed.