As the National Population Commission (NPC), is preparing for the 2017 Census and Enumiration Area Demarcationi across the country, the commission n Bayelsa has solicited the support of stakeholders in the state to make the excercise a success in the eight local government areas of the state.
This was handed down by Mr Austen Pabor, Commissioner representing Bayelsa in NPC during the flag-off ceremony for the EAD in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state.
According to Pabor, EAD involves the division of the entire country into smaller units to enable a pair of enumerators to carry out the counting of people and houses during the census scheduled to take place next year.
“The EAD constitutes the foundation on which the entire census architecture stands, it forms the basis for the planning and execution of the census project.
In the pre-census period, the total number of EAD and its distribution is required for census planning particularly the deployment of personnel, logistics and materials.EAD is also required for the pre-test, trial census, the main census and the post enumeration survey,” Pabo said
According to him, the NPC adopted a robust EAD methodology driven by satellite technology and imagery to deliver accurate, reliable and verifiable evidence based census to be conducted with biometrics data capture.
Pabo said that the EAD period which commenced on Feb. 22 and to lapse on March 13 will also be used for registration of births of children under the age of five whose births were yet to be registered.
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Speaking at the occasion, Mr Benson Agadaga, Chairman of Ogbia Brotherhood, a socio cultural group expressed the commitment of the Ogbia community to support the NPC in the EAD exercise.
He said that the group has been working with the NPC and provided accommodation and local guides to ensure a successful EAD that will ensure an accurate population figure for Ogbia local government.
He urged the NPC officials to be painstaking and cover some settlements in the community without access roads which had been omitted in previous census exercises.
Also speaking, immediate past Secretary to Bayelsa Government Prof Edmun Allison-Oguru noted that the EAD exercise was an opportunity to correct the errors in previous census that produced unacceptable figures.
He appealed to the people to jettison the apathy arising from failure of previous exercises and give NPC a chance to correct the mistakes of the past.
Traditional rulers, women and youth leaders from Ogbia communities as well as staff of NPC attended the flag-off ceremony held at Ogbia Brotherhood Hall in Ogbia town, Bayelsa.