Senator Smart Adeyemi (APC/Kogi West) has warned the Federal Government against conducting the proposed 2022 national census.
Adeyemi gave the warning during interactive session between the Senate Committee on Appropriation and Chairman of the National Population Commission, Alhaji Nasir Isa Kwarra on Wednesday.
The Chairman Senate Committee on Aviation said there is no need to conduct the census when no part of the country is safe for such a national exercise.
“I am looking at this issue from a practical point of view. The only area that is a bit safe in Nigeria today is the Southwest. There is an assumption of tight security for people to move around there.
“All other zones in Nigeria today are unsafe. There are killings every day, especially in the North.
“Over three-quarters of those that have died in Nigeria are northerners. In Kogi State, on Wednesday, gunmen took over a town for four hours and killed people.
“Census is important, but it is definitely not expedient. Our people are dying daily. We must guarantee security, movement of goods and services, or else we are deceiving ourselves.
“NPC has determined to do the job; there is no doubt about your competence. However, between you and your God, you know Nigeria is not safe to conduct a census today.
“You cannot go from Sokoto to Ilela. That is the truth. Nobody can move round again. Census is important, but we need to be alive to conduct it,” he said.
Adeyemi explained that spending N400 billion on census when there is unemployment and hunger in the land, does not make any economic sense.
