By Emman Gwatana
Following preparations for the next round of head count in the country, Kogi State commissioner for the National Population Commission, Prof. Jimoh Habitat Isah has called on communities in the state to cooperate with the officials carrying out the Enumeration Area Demacators (EAD) in order to ensure a hitch free exercise in the state.
Prof. Isah who represented the chairman National Population Commission, Hon Nasir Isah Kwarra made this known at a stakeholder meeting and flag off of the state level training of Enumeration Area Demarcation functionaries held at Kasuwa guest Inn Lokoja.
Prof Isah said the commission cannot achieve success during the EAD exercise without the cooperation of communities in the state. He maintained that the commission is prepared to carry out a credible next head count in the state and the country at large.
The National Population commissioner said the commission has departed from analogue to digital head count. He added that the commission is no longer using papers but geo information system in carrying out the Enumeration Area Demarcation in preparatory to the next head count.
He declared that there was no need for any community to fear on the activities of the commission maintaining that with the digital geo information system no community in the state and the country at large would be shortchanged in the next headcount in the country.
Making her presentation at the stakeholder meeting, the zonal Director of the commission, Mrs. Ngozi Arukwe said the commission had already carried out a pilot EAD exercise at Akoko South East Local Government Area of Edo State.
Mrs Arukwe said already the Federal capital territory had carried out full EAD exercise. She added that several EAD exercises have been carried out in some Local Government Areas in Kogi state.
The Zonal Director said the EAD exercise is currently being carried out in phases in Kogi state. She urged traditional rulers in the state to sensitize their people on the ongoing EAD exercise in the state.
While flagging off the stakeholder meeting, the president of Kabba Bunu Development Union, Mr Emmanuel Ajibero thanked the commission for carrying out the EAD exercise in the state. He called on the commission to synergize with communities in the state to achieve good results.
Sani Abubakar who is the President of the Kogi state chapter of the National Civil Society Organization said his workers were prepared to work with the commission to achieve a hitch free EAD exercise. He called on the people of the state to cooperate with the commission to achieve results.
Representative of the Acting President Kogi state traditional Council, His Royal Majesty Alhaji Ado Ibrahim, Chief Yusuf Ova said the traditional rulers in the state are prepared to cooperate with the commission to achieve maximum results