Former Military Governor of Kaduna State and Chairman, Movement for Unity and Progress, Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (retd), has condemned the Federal Government for contemplating conducting a national census next year and demanded suspension of the proposed exercise.
The National Council of State had, on Thursday, approved the conduct of a national census in April 2023.
Reacting to this on Friday, Col Umar, in statement, said a country facing insecurity and economic challenges, like Nigeria, should not make national census its priority.
He called for the suspension of the exercise, saying the Federal Government should rather focus on securing the country.
The statement by Col Umar reads: “The decision of the FGN to seek and gotten 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.”