To ensure that the people of the state participate
en masse in the 2005 national population and housing census, the Cross
River State government has inaugurated a census publicity committee.
While inaugurating the committee in
Calabar, the governor, Mr. Donald Duke, noted that the state was dissatisfied
with the outcome of the 1991 census, pointing out that the 1.9 million figure
given the state clearly showed that the exercise left much to be desired.
According to Duke, many parts of the
state were not demarcated in 1991, just as he blamed the poor turnout of the
people on ignorance.
Duke, who was represented by his deputy,
Elder Walter Eneji, observed that while the enumerators were chased away in
some areas, some people shunned the exercise and preferred to remain in their
farms.
He said the committee is saddled with the
responsibility of creating the necessary awareness for the people to cooperate
with officials of the National Population Commission (NPC) in the impending
exercise.
Speaking at the occasion, chairman of the
committee and the commissioner representing the state in the NPC, Mr. Harry
Ezeoke, pointed out that no country could achieve meaningful development
without proper demography, delineation as well as knowing the actual headcount
of its people.
He disclosed that at the moment, training for the second
phase of the enumeration area demarcation is going on at Ikom, adding that the
town has been chosen for the pilot programme of the enumeration area
demarcation exercise.
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