By Uduak Akai
UYO
The honourable federal commissioner, National Population Commission (NPC), Akwa Ibom State, has observed that constant dissemination of right and timely information as well as effective engagement of the public through advocacy forms an integral and indispensible part of pre-censual activities.
Chief Benedict Ukpong made this observation during the commencement of road show/publicity and advocacy campaign for the 2023 population and housing census in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Akwa Ibom State held in Uyo, Wednesday.
Ukpong maintained that NPC, among its various preparatory activities for the 2023 census, has taken up the responsibility of engaging relevant agencies and the general public towards creating awareness, promoting synergy and fostering support and collaboration, adding that it is on this basis that NPC, Akwa Ibom State, solicits full collaboration and partnership of NOA, whose mandate is to reorientate, sensitize and mobilize citizens on government programmes, policies and activities as well as playing a central role in terms of organizing and mobilizing Nigerians for the forthcoming 2023 population and housing census.
The NPC federal commissioner represented by the state director, NPC, Akwa Ibom State, Mr Emmanuel Edem explained that the road show/publicity campaign in the state is a step-down event of the just concluded road show organized by NPC in collaboration with NOA recently at Abuja, disclosing that the road show is planned to take census message to all parts of the state capital, and marks the commencement of an aggressive census advocacy across every locality is the 31 local government areas of the state.
The Okete Okete Oro said the road show will be followed by a capacity building workshop where NPC staff in Akwa Ibom state will interface with their NOA counterparts in the state to discuss on the methodology and processes of 2023 census, calling for full participation and cooperation of the state government, local government areas, traditional rulers, media community and all residents of Akwa Ibom State to enable the commission to have a successful population come April 2023.
On his part, the state director of NPC in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Emmanuel Edem, said the briefing was to address Akwa Ibom populace on the commencement of the road show/publicity camapgn by NPC in Akwa Ibom State in collaboration withNOA.
Edem averred that population census is a national issue which concerns every citizens which is the reason the two agencies of government have taken it upon themselves to enlighten the public and create awareness on the importance and benefits of census, noting that with the kick-off of the road show other activities to publicize the forthcoming 2023 population and housing will be carried out in the 31 local government areas of the state.
The NPC state director used the opportunity to remind Akwa Ibom citizens and other residents of the state that the commission had launched the e-recruitment portal for census functionaries and so far information on this has been disseminated through jingles on various radio stations and television, flyers and paper publication, among others, listing available positions for the ad-hoc functionaries to include; facilitators, field coordinators, training centre administrators, monitoring and evaluation officers, data quality managers, quality assurance officers, supervisors and enumerators, calling on everyone to log into the portal and apply to take part in the next census.
The state director, NOA, Mr Enobong Uyoh, recalled that about three weeks ago they were in Abuja for the same programme, saying population census is a very important exercise which touches the life of every Nigeria, noting that NOA as a partner with NPC will continue to work on its mandate of enlightenment, mobilization and orientating Nigerians to support all government programmes and policies, one of which is the population census coming up in April, 2023.
Uyoh reiterated that NOA shall not rest on its oars until it make sure that all citizens in Akwa Ibom State are properly informed about the exercise because of its importance to the nation, state and local government areas, adding that population data is use in national planning and development.
The NOA boss maintained that it cannot deplete the population of Akwa Ibom State in 2023 census but to increase it so that the state will be able to attract federal presence as well as add to the already existing federal constituencies because constituencies are created on the basis of population.
He appealed to every person in the state and all government functionaries that will be involved in the exercise to make sure that they reach out to all nooks and crannies of the state as well as state and federal governments to support the exercise.
The director of federal Ministry of Information, Mrs Christiana Jacob, pledged the readiness of the ministry to support NPC in the dissemination of information geared towards the success of the 2023 census, appealing on Akwa Ibom people to ruse up and support the exercise.
The road show/publicity and advocacy campaign which took off from the NPC office in Uyo to all the major streets,terminated at IBB Roundabout and had in attendance management staff of NPC, Akwa Ibom State, Federal Road Safety, Nigeria Police, Red Cross Society, among other security agencies as well as staff of the commission.
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