Census: Demarcation Begins in Bayelsa
From John Iwori in Yenagoa
The second phase of Enumeration Area Demar-cation (EAD) exercise by the National Population Commission (NPC) has commenced in Kolokuma/Opo-kuma Local Government area of Bayelsa State. The exercise was flagged off by the state deputy governor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and it will cover Kolokuma/Opokuma and Odi Local Government Areas.
Performing the exercise at Kaima, the headquarters of Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government area, Jonathan appealed to the people of the area to support and co-operate with the commission. According to him, the current exercise is very important to the state government because previous exercises in the state were very poor.
Describing the purpose of census as basically for planning, he urged the people of the area to take the present stage of Enumeration Area Demarcation very seriously. He noted that the importance to the on-going EAD exercise was because without proper Enumeration Area Demar-cation, it is difficult to count everybody during a census.
He pleaded with the chairman, councilors, traditional rulers and community leaders to ensure that this exercise is successful so that the state population would be corrected for better development.
The Federal Commissioner representing Bayelsa State in NPC, Hon. Pidiki Karebo Clement Atuwo, in his address, explained that the Enumeration Area Demarcation exercise is being carried out as an integral component of census taking in readiness for the forthcoming population and housing census 2005.
Atuwo said the Enume-ration Areas would in facilitate the workload of Enumerators and Supervisors during the actual census.
According to him, the Enumeration Area sketches for the 1991 census were not drawn to scale and had no geographical reference, stressing that the commission intends to improve substantially on the mapping strategy for the 2005 population and housing census so that the maps can accommodate future changes and enhance computerisation.
He explained that the new measure would render our national census data more useful to various agencies in the world, adding that the present exercise calls for an upgrading of the demarcation of the country into Enumeration Areas that are properly geo-referenced and drawn to scale, which would be properly aligned to the national grid.
Also speaking, the state Director of NPC, Mr. Nico-demus Ibara Agbor, expressed delight for the peoples' response to activities of the commission in area.
Agbor thanked the Deputy Governor for honouring the invitation to flag-off the exercise as well as the state Governor for the huge financial and moral support being given to commission to ensure the success of population programmes in the state.
Earlier in his welcome address, the council chairman, Hon. Ineye Ingbiafegha, expressed his council's gratitude to Federal Government for selecting his council as one of the pilot areas for the exercise.
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