NPC may not take fresh census in Lagos

There are indications that the National Population Commission  may not  comply with the order  of the National  Census Tribunal that a fresh census be conducted  in 14 Local Government Areas in Lagos State.

Dependable sources in the Presidency told The PUNCH  on Friday that  the state would have to  wait till  2016 when another  nationwide census  would be carried out.

The source explained that for now, the nation lacked the basic benchmark  and requirements to conduct a census.

The Lagos State Government had through its Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye; his  Works and Infrastructure counterpart, Mr.  Obafemi Hamzat,  and the  Commissioner  for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, asked the NPC to conduct a  fresh  census in  the 14 LGAs in line with the the NCT judgment.

Ipaye had stated that  since the tribunal nullified the figures released by the NPC, another headcount was very necessary in the  areas  considering the physical and economic projections of the government.

According to him, the 2006 census was conducted on the basis of 20 LGAs listed in the 1999 Constitution.

He had said, "In the final analysis, the official national census results for 14 old Local Government Councils (now 40 LGAs and LCDAs) in Lagos State have been nullified. This vindicates the resolve of the state government to base its physical and economic plans on a projected population of 17,553,924 in 2006 and over 21,000,000 currently. We now expect that the NPC will urgently announce plans for a recount as ordered by the tribunal.

"Most importantly, a shadow survey carried out by state officials during the exercise showed that Lagos State should have had a population of at least 17,553,924. A good number of residents from various communities within the state protested and, eventually, had petitions filed on their behalf when the census tribunal was established."

But the  NPC said it had yet to get a copy of the tribunal judgment.

The  commission's Chairman, Chief Festus Odimegwu, in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja,  said, "When a judgment is delivered, it usually takes a while before a Certified True Copy is given. "The tribunal has not served the NPC any paper  that the 2006 census exercise in Lagos State has been nullified."

 When contacted, a  Presidency source  said, "To conduct a census is a major event and not something you just jump  into  because a  court said you should do so.

"The conditions required to conduct a proper census do not exist in Nigeria as we speak. Nobody can conduct a proper census because the conditions are not there.

"Before a census is conducted, it takes three years for the type of census we want to do and we have not even started the preparation.

"So,   the NPC cannot conduct any census anywhere because the conditions are not okay. Anything we do now will be like a  guesswork. When  the judgment is ready, the NPC will reply and educate the court on what is possible and what is not possible and I am sure they will understand."

Another   source in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation said conducting a fresh census   in Lagos State would be  a misadventure.

He said, "To run a proper census is the biggest challenge of any nation like Nigeria. The only thing that is bigger than it is war.  To  wage war you need to simulate the entire country and in  census, it is exactly the same thing, except that it is on the peace line.

"So it is easy to say 'conduct census'; but it is not practical to do  so because if we want to do it properly the way we are planning, it won't be possible. The court is entitled to its judgment. But our duty as professionals is to educate the courts.

"So the whole country should wait until Nigeria conducts another census in 2016. If the nation wants an accurate census, the NPC will deliver it. But we need at least, three years preparation for that; once we deliver it, this country will be delivered from this darkness from people shooting golden arrows into darkness."

But the Lagos State Government said on Saturday that the Federal Government and the NPC should not hide under any guise to disobey a court order.

The state argued that  since the Federal Government   had been proclaiming the rule of law,  it had no reason not to comply with the tribunal's judgment.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy told our one of  correspondents in Lagos  that the tribunal's verdict was a valid one and therefore  should not be disregarded for any reason whatsoever.

He said, "It is a dangerous trend that the Federal Government and the NPC want to start. If the people of Lagos State went to seek refuge in the judiciary and the verdict was that the census should be redone in some places, why would anyone want to look for ways not to implement the verdict?

"The Federal Government and the NPC made representation at the tribunal as well as Lagos State. So they know about the judgement. Nobody should say he had yet to hear of it or get a certified true copy of the judgment. The rule of law must be allowed to prevail. The census should  be retaken in the 14 LGs as ordered by the tribunal."

When  one of our correspondents visited the Registry of the Census Tribunal in Abuja,  the secretary  was not available to speak on the matter.

But a top source, who did not wish to be named, said that the NPC  had  not officially applied for a copy of the judgment as required by the  rules guiding the tribunal.

According to him, the NPC initially made enquiries, stating its wish to collect the judgment  but  was informed that it had to send in a formal application.

 Meanwhile, a group, the Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo Youth Congress, has condemned the calls for  the sacking of the NPC chairman  by  Kwakwanso and the Arewa Consultative Forum.

The  Chairman of the congress, Chijioke  Onyekaonywu, in a joint statement  he signed with   a Chieftain of  Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Stanley Okeke , argued that "the nature and intent  for  the calls had  the capacity to create confusion and overheat the polity.

Onyekaonywu and Okeke said, "The need to preventa threat to our national security and avoid  descent into anarchy and mutual distrust, has necessitated our taking this stride to address the dangerous and reckless attack on the person of Chief  Odimegwu by the governor of Kano State.

"The statement credited to Odimegwu has nothing to warrant the call for his head by Kwakwanso. Even in his capacity as just a citizen of Nigeria, Odimegwu has a right to air his views. Odimegwu should be commended for being courageous enough to state the facts as they are."

Punch