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The Centre for Civil Rights and Social Justice, CCRSJ has threatened to sue the Chairman of the National Population Commission, NPC, Nasir Kwarra and all its Commissioners if the proposed national census is postponed.
CCRSJ National Coordinator, Peter Ebam who spoke with media in Abuja said the importance of data for national planning and development is not debatable especially in Nigeria where the last census was carried out more than 17 years ago.
Ebam said It is rather very unfortunate that some highly placed persons including top management of the National Population Commission and the Ministry of National Planning are working clandestinely to thwart this all important event after so much money, time and logistics have been deployed.
The group said if the postponement mulled by the Minister of National Planning becomes a reality,, it will not hesitate to sue the Chairman and Board of the National Population Commission with all the Federal Commissioners and the Minister of National Planning to the appropriate courts of competent jurisdiction within and outside the country.
“Postponing the 2023 Census is against the conventions of social justice and by extension, an abuse of the rights of Nigerians who deserve data-based and factual planning and development. The era of taking Nigerians for a ride without repercussions is over. Justice must be served and instantly too for every form of abuse.
“We are already in contact with all the international donors who donated their taxpayers money, technology and expertise in ensuring that Nigeria as the biggest economy in Africa gets her facts right for optimum growth and productivity.
” We have already commenced the process of reaching out to all countries and entities that supported the Nigerian government in the past towards the Census exercise including the United Nations, urging them to boycott all support if the census is postponed for any reason whatsoever. Aside corruption and an attempt at self enrichment at the expense of poor Nigerians who are in dire need of government services and support, why will it take the National Population Commission and the Ministry of National Planning more than three years to plan a Census exercise only to turn back and mull postponing it after billions of naira have already been allocated and field personnel trained? This kind of poor and corruption riddled planning does not merit any international support.
“Postponing this all important exercise is a clever way of eventually not doing it at all and we must not allow this to happen.
“We call on the UN through UNFPA, USAID, UKAID and other donor agencies and entities to call on the Chairman of National Population Commission and the Minister of National Planning to account for every dime allocated for the exercise so far both from home and abroad. Failure to do this, will be met with instant litigation and boycott from all international stakeholders at our instance.
“We reject in in totality any attempt to postpone this all important exercise. If the Ministry of National Planning and the National Population Commission felt it was not feasible to carry out a Census, they shouldn’t have deceived Nigerians and the international community to give them funds and support only to turn around and claim the money is not enough and therefore the Census exercise cannot hold. Was there no budget from the beginning? What happened to all the funds allocated? Nigerians demand for the actual figure approved for forthcoming census and the breakdown of budget. Squandering away the future of Nigerians by a few corrupt persons is unacceptable. There is a possibility that the billions of naira and millions of dollars budgeted and donated for this exercise have been diverted and used for political activities but it is no longer business as usual. Nigerians want a detailed breakdown of both the income and expenditure if not we will occupy all the offices of the National Population Commission and and those of the Ministry of National Planning as well as the National Assembly if any attempt is made at postponing this national exercise. Nigerians can not be made to pay for the lavish lifestyles of corrupt office holders who use every opportunity to enrich themselves at the detriment of the suffering masses.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the press, it is equally our position that the Minister of National Planning should resign with immediate effect for poor planning and misleading Nigerians on actual census timelines and not advising the President on the implications of delaying the Census again and again. By violating their own timelines, the National Population Commission has demonstrated gross incompetence. The Ministry of National Planning and the National Population Commission have toyed with the minds of Nigerians for too long and it points to just one fact, they are both incompetent and corrupt. The confidence of Nigerians in their ability to conduct a Census at all is wanning. Therefore, in addition to the resignation of both the Minister of National Planning and the Chairman of NPC, we call for the dissolution of the entire Board and management of the National Population Commission for deceiving Nigerians without any headway. The conflicting dates of the Census from March, to April to May are signs of inconsistency and gross incompetence.
“If the Minister of National Planning and the Chairman, National Population Commission ever want to save their jobs and redeem their poor perceptions in the court of public opinion, then they have (7) days to publicly address Nigerians and state exactly what they have in mind with consistent dates and timelines so that Nigerians will no longer depend on the haphazard dates and timelines that keep changing like weather in the tropics. To an ailing economy like ours, the importance of reliable census data are manifold including but not limited to investment planning, employment, health, infrastructure and educational planning. This years National Population and Housing Census which includes aspect of household livelihoods and climate change will go a long way in providing data or housing needs, energy usage, climate adaptation and sundry challenges. This things should not be taken for granted as the multiplier effect on the standard of living of Nigerians after this Census exercise cannot be quantified.
“It is rather unfortunate that the present administration has chosen to spend taxpayers money on fraudulent schemes such fuel subsidy and school feeding program but is comfortable talking about postponing the 2023 Census exercise using flimsy excuses. This is outright dishonesty and a clear indication that this country takes her citizens for granted. Nigerians need to know exactly what the status of the forthcoming Census exercise is at the moment. Shifting it to another government is a disaster waiting to happen. What if the next administration refuses to carry on with the project since it wasn’t their idea. This is common in Nigeria and must not be waived as a possibility.
“This administration ends in May, if the Census is by proclamation of the incumbent president, why wait till May when he would have gone? This questions beg for answers and as a CSO, we cannot fold out arms and wait for this daylight corruption to go unchallenged.”
