Proclaim Conduct of 2018 Census Now, Senate Tasks Buhari

Upper chamber confirms Eko, Augie as S’Court judges

Tinubu, Oyegun Feud: Yoruba Youths Threaten to Deal with Traitors in APC

Olakiitan Victor in Ado Ekiti
As the crisis of confidence rages between the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed  Tinubu and the party’s National Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja
The Senate yesterday told President Muhammadu Buhari to issue a proclamation for the conduct of “population and housing census in 2018.”

The parliament also appealed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal; the National Population Commission (NPC), Ministry of Budget and Planning and other supervising agencies to ensure there are adequate provisions in 2018 budget towards the conduct of 2018 census.

Moving a motion on the census yesterday, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna North) noted that Section 24 of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (as amended) empowers the NPC to produce demographic, socio-economic and health data by conducting census surveys and registering births, deaths and migration.

According to him, the United Nations recommended the conduct of census every 10 years in view of its importance to the socio-economic and development planning, observing that it’s exactly 10 years since Nigeria conducted the last census in 2006.

He emphasised various reasons the president should announce the conduct of the forthcoming census now to include the need to make sophisticated arrangements involving scientifically tested and effective methods.

The senator added that planning towards the census would include identifying the most suitable technology and promoting mobilisation and training of enumerators as well as awareness campaign for the exercise.

“Concerned that in accordance with the best international practices, a well planned and executed census population should take a minimum of two years. It is only pertinent that subsequent population census should be carried out with an adequate timing and an objective of conducting acceptable exercise.

“Further concerned that inadequate funds for the preparation process towards the 2016 population census appropriated by the National Assembly in 2013, 2014 and 2015 appropriations with very poor cash backing, hence part of the reason for the failure of the exercise in the year 2016,” Hunkuyi said.

Other senators such as John Eno (Cross River Central) and Joshua Dariye (Plateau South) who contributed to the debate described the motion as timely in view of Nigeria’s poor database, saying the pace of advancement in technology today demands sound and effective database which they believe the 2018 census can address.

The motion was co-sponsored by Senators Abubakar Danladi (Taraba North), Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara Central), Gbolahan Dada (Ogunmade West) and Baba Garbai (Borno Central).

Also yesterday, the Senate confirmed the appointments of Justices Ejembi Eko and Amina Augie as judges of the Supreme Court. The confirmation was the aftermath of the report of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters presented by its Chairman, Senator David Umaru.

After the confirmation, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the sitting, thanked his colleagues for confirming the appointments and urged the judges to discharge their duties in the apex court with a sense of honesty and integrity.

“Thank you colleagues for the patriotic exercise. I congratulate the nominees on this confirmation. They now have the opportunity to contribute their quotas to the development of the country. This time that there are many challenges confronting the country, it is their responsibility to perform their duties with honest and highest level of integrity,” Ekweremadu said.

Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the National Coalition of Yoruba Youth and Students (NCYYS) has warned politicians from the South-west against treacherous act.
The youth group  threatened to deal with those allegedly fingered to be involving in perfidious act against Tinubu,  warning that  they won’t allow the voice  of the region to be subjugated  in the ruling

party, just because of the parochial interests of the few.
The group described Tinubu  as a “foremost Yoruba leader, fighter, political father and a pan-Yoruba progressive” by all standards, saying any attack on him would be resisted by the youths from the zone.
NCYYS National President, Sunday Asefon, in a statement in Ado Ekiti yesterday, expressed disappointment with the action of some politicians in the APC who are beneficiaries of Tinubu’s magnanimity, influence and affluence  but later turned out to be the national leader’s adversaries
Asefon said: “The former Lagos State governor remains the leading voice from the Southwest geopolitical zone in the party.

“As Yoruba people and youths, we therefore wish to remind these traitors that the friendship between a lion and a dog is just for a predetermined e d that will sure end the life of one and we have not seen in history where the dog kills the lion.

“The unfolding political development in the nation currently calls for careful evaluation and collective reprimand of sellout within the Yoruba nation. We are money disappointed to behold some major beneficiaries of Asiwaju’s magnanimity, political influence and affluence enrolling in this dastardly act of  betrayal for a temporal sitting with the devil.

“As an organisation, we wish to warn the Alimis and their agent to stay clear of their divisive tendency within the Yoruba nation hence we shall physically repel them and their conspirators with everything left for us by Oduduwa our great ancestor.

“The ruling party and the Presidency should stop playing politics with the Nigerian democracy but rather face the ills of corruption, dwindling economy, insecurity, unchallenged massacre by Fulani herdsmen, massive waste and unemployment since they rode on the people’s mandate with well orchestrated campaign of lies to gain power.

“For Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, we shall make the Yoruba  land too hot for traitors who wouldn’t have achieved anything politically without the support, finance and influence of their new enemy.
“All of them just suddenly woke up and started fighting the same system they rode on and make them what they are today.

“The Yoruba nation, especially the youth are more united in our effort to fight for the Yoruba welfare and interest within the Nigerian Union and we will spare no obstacle to ensure the Yoruba are placed  in our rightful place within the union.”