We’ll Not Allow Osun To Be Shortchanged In 2023 Population Census – Adeleke
…Inaugurates inter-ministerial committee for the exercise
The Osun State Government has said that it is determined to ensure that the state is not short changed in the forthcoming National Population and Housing Census with assurance to work towards a successful 2023 census by addressing challenges that might affect the state during the exercise.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, who stated this while inaugurating an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Population and Housing Census, tasked the body to be focused on ensuring that facts and figures about the state are correctly compiled during the exercise.
Governor Adeleke, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Hon Teslim Igbalaye, assured the committee and the National Population Commission (NPC) of the needed cooperation towards a successful census.
He said; “I wish to declare that the need to take this step by the government is underscored by the fact that there are clear indications that our dear state was under-represented in the figures published for the 1991 National Population Census. This was challenged at the Census Tribunal, and the needful was done eventually, but the repeat of that should not be allowed to happen in the forthcoming exercise”.
In outlining the responsibility of the committee, the governor directed members of the Committee to work out appropriate sensitization and mobilization strategies about the activities of the National Population and Housing Census exercise, organize advocacy and sensitization programmes for Local Government functionaries, the media and NGOs, on population and related issues.
He also urged the committee to regularly liaise with the National Population Commission in the State with a view to fashioning out strategies for an effective and acceptable population census and assured that the state government will providing the enabling environment and necessary support to ensure that the right machineries are put in place for a successful Population and Housing Census exercise in Osun State.
Responding, Mr Yemi Ijidele, the Statistician General of the state and secretary of the committee thanked the state government for the proactive approach taken in ensuring a successful census and housing population in the state.
He said the committee is a standing committee of the state government setup to address the myriad of challenges Osun state had suffered during the past census.
He noted how Osun was short changed in the 1991 population census which the state challenged, and got a favourable judgment from the census Tribunal at the time but unfortunately, the judgment was never implemented.
He said; “In 1991 during the population census, Osun was ranked 33rd in the federation, a situation which the state found inaccurate and challenged the processes leading to that, thankfully the Census Tribunal setup at the time ruled in favour of the state, but the judicial outcome was never implemented. However, during the last census held in 2006, Osun improved in the ranking to 18th position in the federation”.
