Resettle IDPs before conducting census - Ortom urges FG

In a recent news report, the governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has called on the

Federal Government to suspend the conduct of the May 3, 2023 national population and housing census. Speaking at a meeting with a delegation from the Middle Belt Forum, Ortom noted that many indigenes are in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and would not be counted in the census. For the exercise to hold successfully, he advised the President Muhammadu administration to improve security and resettle IDPs in their ancestral homes to be captured in the census.

Ortom also raised concerns about injustice, bias, and tribalism in the country that must be addressed before the nation can move forward. He expressed his doubts about the proposed census exercise, stating that it seemed to be coming with an agenda. Ortom suggested that the exercise should be suspended until the government could restore security and provide all IDPs with the opportunity to be counted. According to the National Population Commission (NPC), those to be counted must be counted in their localities.

On the other hand, the NPC Chairman, Dr. Harry Ikpalibo, believes that technology is not failing Nigeria, despite the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) hiccups during the general elections. Although the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was unable to maximize the technological equipment at its disposal during the polls, Ikpalibo explained that things could improve, and manipulations checked with slight adjustments in subsequent elections.

Ikpalibo stated that the Personal Digital Assistance (PDA), hand and telephone devices, used by the NPC to speed up operations during the election, were not special equipment but normal Samsung android devices. He emphasized that INEC activities were only for a few hours or a day, while the NPC's census exercise lasted for a whole five days. Despite these challenges, the NPC is hopeful that his organization would deliver creditably. Solid arrangements are on the ground to conduct a census whose outcome will reflect the true reflection of things, according to Ikpalibo.