Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Eze Duru-Iheoma, has said that the sum of N17 billion would be required for a successful head count in 2016.
Duru-Iheoma spoke yesterday when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Population to defend the 2014 budget. He said the N17 billion would be spread on a sundry of items, including additional registration centres.
According to him, N5 billion would be spent on the provision of centres alone, while N5.7 billion would spent on the construction of Information Communication Technology (ICT) centres in 36 states of the federation. The chairman said: “Our states’ offices are on rent.
We need to develop them and have them fully equipped with ICT. We suggested N5.7 billion for this. We have the mandate of 2016, and we don’t intend to postpone it even by one day.”
He regretted that a paltry N203 million was proposed for the items by the Budget Office. For 2014 alone, he said NPC requested N34.566 billion of which N17 billion should be earmarked for the 2016 census.
Duru-Iheoma, however, said N6.2 billion was approved by the Budget Office for the commission as 2014 budget. He said: “With all the things we need, the N203 million given will not even scratch them on the face.” The chairman urged the committee to intervene in the matter.
Source: National Mirror
