The Benue State Government has called for the suspension of the National Population and Housing Census scheduled for May 2023.
This was revealed by the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) on Tuesday April 25, saying many communities and people would be left out if the census exercise is conducted as scheduled.
The Informant247 recalls that the Governor of the State, Samuel Ortom a few weeks ago called for the postponement of the exercise until the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state and those in other states go back to their homes.
The Executive Secrerary of SEMA, Dr. Emmanuel Shior, called for the suspension of the exercise in Makurdi, the capital of the state.
Shior said the exercise needed to be suspended to ensure that many communities and people are not left out.
“We’re calling for suspension of the census for now because we suspect that if federal government continues, a lot of people will be left out as their homes and communities will not be captured.
“There is a big challenge with that census that we are working out. Remember, the census is not only about counting human beings but their houses as well. So, the big challenge is that the people are displaced, they are in the camps,” he said.
Shior after addressing journalists gave food items to IDPs across the state.
The food items distributed by the SEMA chief were cartons of noodles, bags of rice, garri, tomatoes, salts, maggi, yam etc.