‘Adamawa Ready For 2017 Census’

From Tom Garba, Yola
Deputy Governor, Adamawa State, Martins Nasir Babale, has reinstated the state’s readiness for the 2017 population census to be conducted by the National Population Commission (NPC).
Babale, who spoke during a town hall meeting in Yola, stressed the importance of the meeting and assured that the state government was fully prepared to support the commission for the ongoing enumeration area demarcation exercise in Yola North local government and the subsequent 2017 general census.
The town hall meeting was organised to enable the community participate and understand the importance of the general population and housing census come 2017.
He said: “The process for providing the country accurate census figure is indeed very important for effective national planning. We in Adamawa are desirous of an accurate population figure to enable government in provision of democracy dividend among the people of the state. We cannot succeed in taking the state to the next level unless we are able to have accurate population data to work with.”
Commissioner of Information, Ahmad Sajoh, urged the citizens of the state to support the population and housing census exercise for the development of the state.
Sajoh advised the people of the state to forget religion and tribal sentiments during the exercise saying, “The National Population and Housing programme has nothing to do with people’s religion or tribe. The exercise was purely designed for the effective developmental programme.”
He urged the people of the state to always report and registers any new birth and death to enable government acquire accurate population data.
Also speaking at the meeting, Mr. Garvwa David, Adamawa Federal Commissioner of the commission said that the meeting was organised to cross-fertilise ideas and to enable the community understand the importance of the exercise come 2017.
David said that already the second phase of the enumeration area demarcation has commenced a week ago and would be carried out in one local government area each in twenty nine states of the federation.
“Yola North Local Government Area of Adamawa is among the areas where this second phase exercise will be carried out,” David said
He emphasized the importance of the exercise, adding that it was beyond the conduct of the next general census but to provide the national frame for future censuses and surveys in the country.
During the meeting, several participants advised government not to include religion or tribe in the forthcoming 2017 general census.