Essential Ndubuisi
The National Population Commission (NPC) has announced its plans to provide insurance coverage for all 800,000 ad hoc workers who will serve as enumerators for next month’s census. This is due to the resurgence of insecurity in different parts of the country, which poses a challenge to the headcount. Despite the resurgence of kidnapping, banditry, and killings in many parts of the country, the NPC has reiterated its readiness to conduct the census from May 3 to May 5.
The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has called on the Federal Government to postpone the census until all internally displaced persons return to their communities. He explained that his call for a postponement was due to the significant number of people still in IDP camps who might not be counted because they needed to be in their communities before they could participate in the exercise. In response to the call for postponement, the NPC reassured the public that people in IDP camps would be counted.
The NPC spokesman, Isiaka Yahaya, confirmed that there would be insurance cover for all 800,000 ad hoc workers of the NPC. The insurance will cover injuries, kidnapping, accidents, and deaths. The NPC has also requested the deployment of police and other security agents to help protect the ad hoc and permanent staff members as well as the equipment. The NPC has also stated that all the country’s land borders will be closed during the census, and no foreigner would be allowed into Nigeria during this time.
Despite the call for postponement, the NPC remains confident in its ability to carry out the census as scheduled. According to Yahaya, the commission is prepared for the census, and all possible hitches are being removed to ensure that all personnel and equipment are in proper shape. The suspended training of supervisors and enumerators at the local government level will soon resume.
