The National Population Commission (NPC) has assured Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, that the upcoming census will provide another chance to obtain accurate population figures for the state.
This comes after Otti disputed the population numbers assigned to Abia, particularly the commercial hub of Aba, during the last census exercise. He emphasized the critical role of accurate census data in planning and development, stressing that the government cannot function effectively without it.
Acknowledging the shortcomings of the 2006 census in Abia, the NPC Federal Commissioner, Emma Eke, attributed the inaccuracies to past government inaction and the activities of separatist groups. He assured Otti that the next census will provide Abia with a fresh opportunity to rectify these issues.
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Governor Otti expressed his commitment to collaborating with the NPC to ensure a successful census.
“I can identify with the points you have raised about the population census. If you don’t know how many you are you can’t plan. People in the past did not understand what the census was all about. Census is very very important for planning and development,” he said.