The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the February 25 election, Peter Obi, has commended the Federal Government for postponing the 2023 Housing and People Census indefinitely.
Recall that, PUNCH Metro had reported earlier that on Saturday, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had approved the postponement of the 2023 HPC due to financial and technical reasons.
Obi, in a statement issued on Saturday via his Twitter handle said National Census is a critical development and nation-building tool that needed proper planning and diligence to ensure the sanctity of the results.
He wrote, “FGN’s decision to postpone the 2023 Population and Housing Census, scheduled for 3-7 May 2023, to a date to be determined by the incoming Administration is a propitious and welcome development. National Census is a critical development and nation-building tool.
“Even though Nigeria is long overdue for a census, conducting one requires proper planning and diligence to ensure the sanctity of the results; the efficacy of the data gathered therefrom, as well as their utility in driving national development goals, our living standards and growing national housing deficits.
“It is hoped that when eventually the census is conducted, it will serve as confidence-building measures instead of being fraught with the usual controversy. -PO”