A group under the aegis Save Nigeria Movement, has described the call for postponement of the 2023 national population and housing census by the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, as insensitive and rantings of a failed politician.
Convener of the group, Solomon Semaka who addressed newsmen on Monday in Abuja, urged the governor to separate politics from issues of national interest, adding that Ortom’s call for postponement of the census was a laughable distraction being that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) could be counted wherever they were found.
While taking swipes at Ortom for being unable to make an impact in the state all through his time as a governor, Semaka was spiffed that Ortom did not only dedicate the past eight years attacking, ridiculing and castigating the Federal Government, but he has shown not to have value for data.
He said: “Benue State with four Universities and more than five other institution of higher learning stands to benefit more from this Census exercise more than any State. The pool of graduates churned out of these institutions and the need to establish industries to cater for the employment needs of the state through the abundant agro-allied and natural raw materials are just some few benefits of a Census to Benue indigenes and Nigerians at large.
“The fact that job creation, industrial and social development and education are the direct benefits of a Census exercise is lost on Ortom who uses every opportunity to attack, ridicule and castigate the Federal Government is quite unfortunate.
Clearly, the fact that Gov Ortom doesn’t see the need to support the Federal Government to successfully conduct the 2023 Census shows how inept he is as a leader.
“Earlier in January this year, some Governors commended the Federal Government and the National Population Commission for their efforts to organise the first digital Census which will provide credible and valuable data for development planning in Nigeria. Ortom who has failed to even pay salaries, gratuities and pensions for more than a year has chosen to see nothing good about this laudable project.
“It is on record that Governor Ortom has not commissioned any significant project in Benue State after an 8 year tenure of office. It’ll be plausible to say Gov Ortom failed because he had no data on the needs of Benue people and certainly does not value data and hence, his attack on the only project that can transform Nigeria through data driven and sustainable development.
“As critical stakeholders in the Benue and Nigerian project, we appeal on Governor Ortom to separate politics from issues of national interest. Census has nothing to do with his Fulani sentiments and innuendos and twisted narratives. Hiding under the banner of insecurity to call for the postponement of a project that’s about to kick off is callous. If insecurity did not stop elections then it can’t stop the 2023 Census.
It is enough that Benue is an opposition state, adding the burden of setting the state against the Federal Government will not bring development to the state either will it sort the huge debt profile incurred over the years.
“Let it be on record that the call made by Governor Samuel Ortom is insensitive, politically motivated and not reasonable. There’s no law that says those in IDP camps cannot be counted. Everyone will be counted since as long as they make themselves available in any location. Insinuating that those in IDP camps won’t be counted or that the they must go back to their ancestral homes before the Census will commence is a needless distraction. Since the Commission does not handle security matters and Governor Ortom did not call for the postponement of the just concluded elections, there’s no valid reason to even give Ortom a listening ear. His call for the postponement of the 2023 Census should therefore be disregarded as the rantings of a failed politician.
“We encourage Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State to be challenged by the patriotic and selfless support the NPC has enjoyed from other state governors across the nation. Those state governors have demonstrated capacity, maturity and understanding in supporting the Commission without any political undertones. It is not late for Ortom to have a rethink and change his position as it relates to this year’s Census exercise.
“As a State governor, he can be in the forefront, advocating for a successful Census using political, religious and traditional institutions in the state. That will be better than choosing to always be in the wrong books of history. Working against the conduct of the Census is tantamount to trying to deny the incoming administration and the people of credible data that will spur development in Benue and Nigeria at large.
“Regardless of the disposition of the Governor Ortom and his co-travellers, we call on all well meaning Nigerians to massively drum support for the forthcoming Census exercise. The role of religious and traditional institutions in almost every community in Nigeria cannot be overemphasised. It is our hope that they’ll use their platforms as avenues for raising awareness and advocacy towards the success of the Census exercise. The failure of this year’s Census will be our failure and the success of the exercise will equally be our success as a nation. Let us all choose to be on the positive side of history.”
