A former Military Governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar has asked the Federal Government to secure the country instead of conducting census.
He said at this point, census is not a priority for the country.
He asked the government to suspend plans to hold the exercise in April next year.
The National Council of State had, on Thursday, approved the conduct of a national census in April 2023.
Umar, who is also the chairman of the Movement for Unity and Progress, made his position known in a statement in Abuja.
The statement said: “The decision of the Federal Government of Nigeria to seek and get the approval of the National Council of State to conduct National census in April 2023 must have come as a great shock to most well- meaning Nigerians.
“A country that is facing existential challenges such as unprecedented level of insecurity, collapsing economy cannot have as one of its priorities the conduct of a National census.
“We therefore urge the Buhari administration to suspend what will amount to misadventure and waste of scarce national resources.
“This Administration should focus all its attention on securing the nation and conducting the 2023 elections.
“A National census at this point is certainly not a priority assuming that its conduct is possible.”
The Nation
