Chidi Nkwopara
23 March 2006
Abakaliki — Census enumerators in Ebonyi State are still numbering houses, in the second day of the on-going nationwide enumeration.
The delay in the commencement of the census by officials has raised doubts about effective coverage of the state during the six-day exercise.
Investigations by a correspondent, who monitored the exercise in some council areas of the state, showed that actual enumeration of persons was yet to commence as NPC officials were seen numbering houses, house numbering was scheduled for between March 19 and 20.
A visit to Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Nnodo, Afikpo North and Ezza South council areas of the state, revealed that numbering of houses started on March 21. At Nkaliki, headquarters of Abakaliki council, materials for the census were still being distributed to officials as at noon on Tuesday.
The situation was the same at Ebonyi, Nnodo and Ezza South council areas as some enumerators complained as at 3.30 p.m. of late arrival of materials.
The chairman of Abakaliki council, Chief Emma Uguru, blamed the delay on the commencement of enumeration in his area on some NPC officials.
"Majority of the officials appeared not to know what they are expected to do as the top officials were seen educating the junior ones as at noon, when the actual enumeration was supposed to have started," he said.
Uguru said most of his colleagues in the 34 council areas of the state had also complained of late take-off of the event in their areas.
He described the exercise as generally peaceful in the area, and appealed to the Federal Government to extend the exercise for seven days, to enable census officials to cover the state effectively.
The NPC commissioner in the state, Mr. Sini-Dai Kwabe, blame council officials for the late commencement of the exercise.
He said that materials for the census were distributed to the various council areas a few days before the exercise, to enable them transport them to the grassroots.
He regretted that some council chairmen were unable to transport the materials to the needed areas until Tuesday, when the real head count was expected to have started.
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