The Chairman of the Ondo State Council of Obas and the Deji of Akure Kingdom, Oba (Dr) Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, Odundun II, has charged the National Population Commission (NPC), to conduct a credible and internationally acceptable population and housing census as it gets set to conduct the exercise nationwide.
Oba Aladetoyinbo made the call while receiving the Local Government Coordinators of the Population Commission in Ondo State who had come to brief him on their preparedness ahead of the exercise schedule for May 2023.
According to his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Adeyeye Michael, Oba Aladetoyinbo lamented that the previous exercise had suffered a credibility test thereby, making the data inaccurate and unreliable for National Planning.
Oba Aladetoyinbo in his words said, “We now have a very good opportunity to right the wrongs of the past and ensure that all the data that will be collected will be realistic, reliable and fit for national planning and development. We can no longer go back to the dark days of falsifying figures and depriving ourselves of the true reflection of things”.
He asked the coordinators to ensure that everyone is counted and avoid the errors of assumption which characterized the previous exercise. You must ensure that your enumerators get into the nooks and crannies of the state. In Akure for instance, there is a wide population explosion, you must, therefore, be prepared to go into these newly opened-up areas.
Oba Aladetoyinbo who is a member of the Ondo State Census Sensitization and Publicity Committee promises to mobilize Ondo Traditional Rulers in support of the Commission to ensure a hitch-free exercise. He equally appealed to residents of Ondo State and Akure in particular to remain in their place of residence during the exercise as there is no basis for traveling during the exercise.
In his response, the Akure South Coordinator of the commission, Mr. Onoda Jubril thanked the monarch for his support for the commission and for setting up a committee to collaborate with the Commission in the discharge of its duties.
He assured that the commission is fully prepared to carry out the exercise with diligence, just as he opined that the forthcoming census will be digital based and will therefore reduce all sharp practices that were identified in the past.
