No Inflation Of Population Figures In 2023 Census – Commissioner  

The federal commissioner representing Benue State at the National Population Commission (NPC), Barr Patricia Kupchi has insisted that the personal digital assistants (PDAs) provided for the March/April 2023 housing and population census (HPC) exercise have been configured to detect irregularities including inflation of figures.

The commissioner who disclosed this in Makurdi during a one-day state level capacity building workshop for journalists in Benue State informed that irregularities such as inflation of population figures, among others, will be detected and administrative officers would be alerted for prompt actions.

While suing for continuous partnership between the commission and the media during and after the exercise, Barr Kupchi called on all relevant stakeholders to strictly adhere to the stipulated rules and guidelines to pave the way for smooth operations of the exercise.

She also informed that the HPC 2023 is going to be a revolutionary exercise hence it is a total break-away from the previous exercise that were conducted through manual processes.

According to her, “the workshop is aimed at equipping members of the media with relevant information that will enable them effectively monitor and report both the processes and activities involved in the smooth execution of the HPC.”

Barr Kupchi lamented the delay in the conduct of population census which she said is usually conducted in ten years, describing the HPC exercise as a very key component of national development. She regretted that the 2023 HPC is coming up 17 years after the last one that was held in 2006.

Earlier, the Benue State director, NPC, Mr Christopher Nege, who was also one of the resource persons, commended participants for their turnout, even as he enjoined them to make judicious use of the knowledge gained from the workshop.