By Tony Adibe
The National Population Commission in Enugu State has given an idea of how the mentally challenged people, even those that appear violent staying in various locations in the State, are going to be counted during the upcoming National Census 2023.
NewsBits reports that the National Population Commission (NPC), the body constitutionally mandated to conduct the national population and housing census, has fixed the exercise between March and April this year.
The Head of Department, Census in the National Population Commission, Enugu State Office, Mr. Alexander Mkpume disclosed this today in Enugu while presenting a paper entitled “Process and Methodology for the 2023 Population and Housing Census,” during a 1-day capacity training workshop organized by NPC for journalists in preparation for the coverage of the forthcoming national population census.
The HOD Census explained that with the assistance and cooperation of natives, and the map provided by the commission they have traced the various locations serving as shelter or habitat for the numerous mentally challenged people – such as those who stay under the pedestrian foot bridges, flyover bridges, market places, village squares , bus-stops, bush and other similar places across the state. He emphasized that no stone would be left unturned in conducting the head count among the mentally challenged individuals residing within the urban and semi-urban as well as rural areas across Enugu State.
“I told you that there are people that are called special people because of their situation. In Enugu State, we have identified every spot where these people stay; the point is that we have spotted them in the map we are going to use. So, we have known all the places they stay, even in the night; we have done that. So, how do we handle them?
“There is what we call the first assignment; they are the very first people that we are going to count throughout the state. We did this thing in 1991 and 2006. They are the very first people to be counted. Usually, through that time 12midnight, they are very, very stable and won’t give trouble because they are stable,” said Mkpume, who didn’t give the statistics of the mentally challenged people they have so far spotted in different locations across the state.
Earlier, while declaring open the workshop, the Hon. Federal Commissioner, National Population Census in Enugu State, Mr. Ejike Ezeh said that nobody including journalists working for NPC during the conduct of the head count should entertain fears or apprehension because security agencies had assured of adequate security during the exercise.
Mr. Ezeh said: “In this country, we have agencies that their mandate is purely security. They have assured us on several occasions that they would provide us security. And we are meeting with them almost on a weekly basis and they have assured us severally that they are on top of their job.
“When we are going to conduct the NPC job, security agents will be there because we have agencies mandated by the Constitution of the Country to provide adequate security 24 hours to everybody, and I can assure you that they are on top of it.”
He said that the Census will be coming up between the months of March and April, noting that the capacity training workshop for the journalists was organized to acquaint the media practitioners with the update on the processes and methodology of conducting the head count by NPC.
He said: “The NPC always places much premium on capacity training, and the press being a very vital partner, we decided that we have to sit with the press and try to understand ourselves and let them have an idea of how the commission functions during census exercise.”
The press being the gateway as far as information dissemination is concerned; because the forthcoming national population census is going to be a digital one which has never been held in this country.
A veteran journalist formerly of ThisDay Newspapers, Sir Abuchi Anueyiagu, who spoke on “How To Generate Media Content on The 2023 Population And Housing Census” urged the journalists to always ensure the information they dish out to the public on population and housing census are first-hand information gotten from the NPC only as any other information from other sources could be fake and dangerous to the success of the census and unity of the country.
“The media should check the spread of fake news during the national census because fake news is dangerous to any environment in any society. The new media came with its own problems such as fake news. Therefore, journalists must at all times, not only prevent fake news, but also check its circulation, ensure it doesn’t spread.
“They should always check their facts and engage in development journalism which is all about the good of our society. There should be a deliberate attempt by the media to focus more on the things/information that would build the country rather than those that would cause civil strife because no meaningful development can happen in an environment of civil unrest.”
