Deputy Speaker of the Home of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu,has lamented the absence of correct inhabitants knowledge to plan Nigeria. The deputy speaker charged the newly inaugurated commissioners on the Board of the Nationwide Inhabitants Fee (NPC) to make sure that the subsequent census will give the precise statistics of Nigeria’s inhabitants.
He mentioned that figuring out the determine was important to financial planning and the unfold of infrastructure throughout the nation. Kalu gave the cost on the inaugural dinner of the federal commissioner representing Abia State on the NPC Board, Chief Emmanuel Trump Eke, over the weekend in Abuja.
Eke was amongst the 17 appointees inaugurated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday on the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The deputy speaker mentioned that it was not proper to proceed to hazard a guess concerning the nation’s inhabitants every time the difficulty arises, stressing that it was time the narrative is modified for good.
Kalu was quoted in a press release by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu as saying that Nigeria “can not hold claiming we’re the large of Africa once we don’t have an correct statistics of our precise quantity as a nation”
Kalu mentioned: “We don’t know our quantity. It’s embarrassing. Every time they ask you of your inhabitants, you mentioned about…When are we going to drop this “about”, that descriptive factor to our quantity? You folks ought to make it actual. Once we name Ogun State, you inform us the quantity. We name Abia, you inform us. Whole quantity within the South East, you give us. Whole within the South West, North West, South South, and so on, you give us in order that we are able to plan as a result of financial planning with out precise information of the inhabitants is a waste of time since you would possibly plan for just a few and the infrastructure can be overused by the a lot you didn’t seize.”
Kalu additionally counseled President Tinubu for operating an all-inclusive authorities, appointing the Igbo in coveted positions of authority regardless of receiving poor variety of votes from the area within the final presidential election. He expressed gratitude to the Igbo for not taking part within the current protest towards the current administration over financial hardship.
The Deputy Speaker who acknowledged that the hardship was not principally created by the Tinubu’s authorities revealed that the administration is discovering lasting options to the issues, particularly in amid the elimination of gasoline subsidy which he mentioned gave solely the prosperity of the “white washed sepulchre.”
Kalu burdened that the assist will even encourage the President to assent to the South East Improvement Fee invoice sponsored by him for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the area, including that the President and his workforce are intentional about giving the South East a way of belonging.
“This President has proven us love even if we didn’t vote as we must have voted. He has proven us nice love and it’s about time we additionally began reciprocating the way in which we assist the federal government in phrases and in motion.
“And I need to thank all of you right here who’re Igbo individuals who supported not occurring protest. When the calls got here that Igbos are usually not becoming a member of the protest, that Igbos ought to be a part of the protest. We mentioned no. We aren’t protesting. I’m happy with you. I need to thanks.
“The President gave us Chief of Naval Employees, an Igbo man from Enugu. He gave us the Minister of Works from Ebonyi. The President got here to Abia and gave us quantity 6 citizen of the nation. The President gave the Chairman of Governor’s Discussion board to Imo State. The President gave lots of Ministers from the South East alternatives to go some ministries like Science and Expertise and all the remainder of them. The way in which to pay him again is to assist him and ensure that we assist stabilize nationwide loyalty and improve nationwide cohesion.
“We’re working laborious to make sure that most of you’re strategically positioned. We’re working laborious to ensure that companies owned by you’re supported. What weren’t accessible to the Igbos earlier than, we’re pushing now so that you can entry them, leveraging this workplace. So, let’s be affected person”, Kalu mentioned.