Senators are divided over the proposed conduct of a national census next year by the National Population Commission (NPC), The Nations reports.
Some Senators claimed that instead of blowing about N400 billion on census, the cash should be used to fix infrastructure and provide jobs.
Other members of the Red Chamber also picked holes in the budget after they discovered that the NPC may spend N2 billion on sanitizers and face masks within 13 days for the conduct of the exercise.
The division in the Senate manifested at a meeting between the Senate Committee on Appropriation and top NPC officials, who came to defend the N400 Census Budget.
Senators were at each other’s throats on the desirability or otherwise of the conduct of census in the midst of security challenges, including terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and other crimes.
But the NPC said security challenges will not hinder the head count tentatively fixed for May 2022.
Apart from citing the successful conduct of elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the agency said it has just-concluded enumeration nationwide in the last one year.
It said the nationwide enumeration was done between November 2020 and November 2021 without hitches and casualties.
Investigation revealed that the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Barau Jibrin, was convinced that the census can hold.
But, some senators and members of the committee, led by Sen. Smart Adeyemi faulted plans to hold census and countered Jibrin’s arguments.
Adeyemi said: “Census may be necessary, but it is not expedient. With the increasing rate of insecurity in the country, it will be difficult to conduct accurate census or get the right figures. How do we capture many Nigerians who have no access to their towns and villages.
“Some key parts of some states in the North, like Borno, Zamfara, Sokoto, Niger and others are under siege. Also, some states in the Southeast have security challenges. No nation can conduct census without peace.
“The alternative is to leave some people to sit down somewhere and be writing figures.
“For now, N400 billion is huge. Our country should use the cash to provide infrastructure and jobs. The Senate does not need to approve such a budget.”
Another senator said: “Some of us are actually not in support of census next year. As we speak, some of our colleagues in the National Assembly do not have access to their constituencies.
“Since President Muhammadu Buhari is addressing the security challenges headlong, I think we can shift the conduct of census to 2023.
“We are appealing to our colleagues in the Senate not only to reject the N400billion budget but to halt the exercise next year.”
A member of the committee, who was armed with the NPC Census Budget, told our correspondent: “How can this commission propose to spend N2 billion on the purchase of sanitizers and nose masks for the census which will be conducted within 13 days?
“For a government that is borrowing to finance the budget, this is wasteful. We don’t even need census now. We want to live to be counted by the NPC. So, survival is our priority and we need enhanced security.”
“But, a National Commissioner in the NPC, who spoke in confidence, said: “The lawmakers are not been realistic. If it is election period, they will ask the government to ensure that the elections hold.
“Census is vital to national development. We have successfully conducted Enumeration nationwide from November 2020 to November 2021 without hitches or casualties.
“We should not hide under insecurity and refuse to move the nation forward. Do we know when we are going to get over insecurity. Nigerians must learn to face the reality. We have had enumeration in Borno, Zamfara, Sokoto and in the Southeast without any crisis.”
On the census budget, the NPC commissioner said: ”The bulk of the estimates is for payment of stipends to over one million officers that will be used for the exercise. Some will work for 12 days, 13 days, 24 days and even 90 days. Also, some parts of the budget will come in kind from donor agencies and international organisations.”
According to a document , some of the highlights of the 2022 Census Budget are as follows:
•Enumerators (1, 536,118 at N55, 300, 251,600 (N55.3 billion)
•Supervisors (140,293) at N5,892,301,800
•Quality Assurance Officers (15,085)= N633, 586,800
•Master Trainers (1,628) =N586,080,000
•Principal Trainers(16,273) =N3,905,520.000
•Facilitators (76,616)= N16,549,056,000
•Training venues and facilities (38,308)= N1, 838,784,000
•Local monitors (2,000)=N480,000,000
•Comptroller (774) =N92,880,000
•State Directors (37) =N4,440,000
•Recruitment of functionaries (40)= N806, 315, 796
•HFC, Monitors, Technical Field Staff and other stakeholders= N800,000,000
•Daily transportation for all categories of certain functionaries= N500,000,000
President Muhammadu Buhari gave the nod to the NPC to conduct a national census by May next year.
The President is expected to issue a proclamation on the exercise any moment from now.
According to investigation, the President has given approval to the NPC following concerns that the nation’s census outlook had become outdated and difficult to plan with.
But it was gathered that the President might consult the Council of State as statutorily required under Third Schedule, Part 1 (5) of the 199 Constitution.
No official of NPC was willing to make any comment but investigation showed that preparations were on-going.
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