A passionate appeal has gone to the people of Delga, Akulga and Emohua Local Areas of Rivers State to support the National Population Commission on the ongoing Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercise in their various areas.
Speaking at the flag-off for the commencement of phase II of the EAD exercise at the Degema Council hall Wednesday December 9, the federal commissioner, Hon. Dr. Ipalibo Harry solicited for the unalloyed support of all the relevant stakeholders for the success of exercise in the 3 LGA’s.
He disclosed that the EAD exercise constitutes the bedrock on which the entire census architecture stands.
According to Dr. Harry, the EAD exercise is not the enumeration of persons living in the country and its outcome will not in any way determine the population of any community, local government or state. But it is basically and essentially the division of the country into small geographical areas by estimated population, to facilitate the census proper.
He noted that the commission has so far demarcated over 260 local government areas in all 36 states of the federation and the federal capital territory, under the previous Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercise.
The state director of the National Population Commission, Rivers State office Mr. Jumbobaraye Miller Daka also said t the EAD involves the division of the country into small geographical units that can be conveniently covered by a pair of Enumerators during census period.
He described the exercise as the official duty of all local governments throughout the country, noting that EAD is one of the key steps towards the successful conduct of the next population and housing census.
“We plan to establish and maintain a national frame including locality listing and house numbering for future census and surveys in line with the mandate of the commission under 24 of the 3rd schedule of the 1999 constitution (as amended)” he said.
Mr. Daka said the commission has also adopted a meticulous and gradual approach to the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercise with periodic stock-taking done, quality of job executed, as well as the personnel involved in the field work constantly reviewed.
He said each phase of the EAD activity has been preceded with trainings so as to update and refresh technical personnel in readiness for the actual field work.
According to him, the NPC, Rivers State Office has so far demarcated Eleme, Omuma, Okrika, Asari-Toru, Etche, Tai, Obio/Akpor, Ogu/Bolo and Gokana LGA’s, where the commission experienced full cooperation from all the stakeholders that led to a successful completion of the exercise and urged the people Akulga, Delga and Emulga to help sensitize their people on the essence of the project, so as to achieve same success.
