By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum has inaugurated a 18- man publicity committee for effective mobilization of citizens to conduct successful census coming up this year.
Inaugurating the committee at the Government House, Maiduguri, on Wednesday, Governor Zulum said: “the objective of setting up committee is to sensitize the populace on the coming 2023 census at the grassroots and to achieve general acceptance, as well as to mobilize additional resources to supplement the National Population Commission’s (NPC’s) budgetary provision in the implementation of advocacy about publicity for the 2923 census.”
Governor Zulum, who was represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Umar Kadafur, who double as the Chairman of the committee, said the committee is to also promote local ownership and acceptability of the 2023 Population and Housing census among stakeholders, especially at the grassroots which would serve as platform for receiving feedbacks and methodologies.
Kadafur further explained that the conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census is a top priority for the present administration, as it is borne out of the desire to bequeath an enduring legacy of evidence-based planning for sustainable development.
The Deputy Governor also empathized that the exercise would enable the state government to have access to information on the number of public and private infrastructures hitherto destroyed in more Boko Haram insurgency, with a view to continue with the ongoing Reconstruction and Rehabilitation processes embarked upon by the present administration.
According to him, the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the committee include “to carryout public enlightenment, education and solicit support for the 2023 census, its processes and procedures as well as undertake advocacy visits and strategic engagement with key stakeholders at the National, State and local Government levels to solicit support for the 2023 census.
“Other TOR include – to mobilize resources material or otherwise for the conduct of the advocacy and publicly for the 2023 population and housing census, promote institutional collaboration and partnership between the commission, Government Agencies, community/ faith Based Organization and Civil Society Organizations on the 2023 Census advocacy and publicity; to advise the committee on effective advocacy and publicity strategies in the 2023 Census and other related matters”. Kadafur stated.
Kadafur added that Housing and population Census when properly conducted will enable the government to know the size of the population, the number of people who live in the country and the structure of the society,.
He noted that the exercise will in turn guide government in forecasting possible economic needs like electricity, schools hospitals, housing and food security among others interventions.
The Deputy Governor maintained that the committee members were appointed based on individual merits, experience and personal integrity and therefore.
He urged them to work hard to justify the confidence reposed on them by the Government, even as he assured that the Borno State Government will give the committee the needed support to succeed.
The committee has the state Deputy Governor, Alhaji Umar Kadafur as Chairman, the Federal Commissioner National Population Commission as Co-Chairman, while Comrade Dauda Iliya, Chairman Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ, Borno Council is also a member of the committee among other 15 members.
Responding on behalf of the committee, the State Director of NPC, Alhaji Yerima Kachallah commended Governor Zulum for finding them worthy of the appointment while pledging that the committee will do its possible best to justify the confidence reposed on them.
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