Gov. Bassey Otu (L) receiving the NPC Fed. Commissioner, Navy Capt. Charles Ogwa (rtd)…at weekend in Calabar.
Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu has called on the National Population Commission (NPC), to give the state accurate figures that will enable it plan for its numerous developmental programmes across the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
Otu who made the call at weekend when he received the Federal Commissioner representing Cross River state in the Board of the National Population Commission (NPC), Navy Capt. Charles Ogwa (rtd) and his management team on a courtesy call to his office, explained that knowing accurate and latest figures of the state census will enable his government plan for the Youths, Women and Children as well as the aged population.
He said, “Population is very key to any economy planning and we have shown determination in moving the state forward, we need to know our population and figure classifications including the Youths, Women, Men as well as the Aged.
“I am so happy to hear that 80 percent of the job has been done, because I know that the principal work in any census exercise is delineation and you just told me that the commission had completed the delineation and demarcation which means that the job is almost done”.
Governor Otu assured the Commission that “the state Government will be ready to provide you with any support that you will need in delivering accurate figures for this coming census. Knowing the real population has been a problem itself for our country. Here in Cross River State, please ensure that you work very hard to give us accurate census figure, that we will use to work for our people”.
Earlier, the Federal Commissioner told the governor that, the basic and foundational activities which is the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) have been perfectly done in all the 18 LGAs of the the state.
Continuing he said, “the Commission has also conducted Pre – Test (PT) so that we will look at the census instruments and see how effective they are.
“We did the 1st, 2nd and 3rd pre – test and finally we conducted a trial census and it went well by the appraisals, most of other items have been delivered to the local government of the state, they are securely placed”.
Capt. Ogwa added that the President has assured the Commission of his massive support to conduct a digital census, but has however, impressed on the Commission to make timelines.
He said, “we have submitted a fresh timeline and proposed March 2024 to give the incumbent government time to look into it and I am pleased to inform your Excellency that the President had given a nod for the conduct of a census in the country”.
