By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
The Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdulkareem Lawan has applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for postponing the National Population and Housing Census scheduled for May 2023.
He said the postponement became imperative following the displacement of many people from Borno North Senatorial District by members of Boko Haram terrorists.
The Speaker while reacting to the development in an interview with Journalists in Maiduguri on Saturday revealed that majority of people from the 10 local government areas in Northern Borno, especially, Guzamala, Abadam, Kukawa, Marte and Mobbar are still displaced, while others are taking refuge in neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon Republic for over a decade.
Lawan noted that conducting the 2023 census would amount to infringement of human rights of many displaced persons and victims of Boko Haram sect in the region, which could also deprived other millions of Nigerians who had been displaced from their ancestral homes and were living in IDP camps and other parts of the country.
” Honestly, i commend President Muhammadu Buhari for postponing the National Population and Housing Census scheduled for May 2023. This is because, majority of our people from the 10 local government areas in Northern Borno, especially, Guzamala, Abadam, Kukawa, Marte and Mobbar are still displaced, while others are taking refuge in neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon Republic for over a decade.
” Therefore, conducting such an exercise, is not only il-timed or injustice, but would amount to infringement of our human rights as many displaced persons and victims of Boko Haram sect in the region could be deprived, in addition to millions of Nigerians who had been displaced from their ancestral homes and were living in Internally Displaced Persons, IDP, camps and other parts of the country.
“I described the President’s decision as a welcome development, even as i urge the military and other security agencies who are fighting Boko Haram/ISWAP to intensify their efforts to restore civil authority in Guzamala Council Headquarters and other communities that are still ghost-town for many years.
“This is necessary to enable all the displaced persons return back to their ancestral homes and pick up their pieces”, he said.
DISCLAIMER
The OPINION / COLUMN is authored by independent contributors to the National Accord Newspaper. While contributors adhere to our editorial guidelines, they are not employed by the National Accord Newspaper. The perspectives and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of the National Accord Newspaper or its staff.
Leave a Reply