NEWS
Census: CSOs Commend NPC on Readiness to Conduct Credible Exercise
By David Torough, Abuja
A coalition comprising numerous Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) across the six geo- political zones of the country has commended the leadership of the National Population Commission (NPC) on the Commission’s preparedness to conduct a credible Census exercise at the earliest convenience of the President.
The coalition under the umbrella of Conference of Harmonized Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria (COHSCN) in a joint communique in Abuja at the weekend noted that Civil Society Organizations across the six geo political zones in the country have carried out a comprehensive assessment of the Commission’s preparedness to conduct a credible Census and indeed, from the interactions, engagements, surveys and evidence before our joint committees as collated from all the six geo political zones in the country, the Alh Nasir Isa Kwarra led management of the Commission is fully charged and ready to deliver a world standard census exercise once President makes the proclamation.
National coordinator of the coalition Dr Richard Oduma specifically appreciated the Commission for digitalizing the entire census project in line with international best practices and to enhance the overall credibility of the census exercise” this feat by the Commission is unprecedented and must be encouraged by all stakeholders so as to give the Commission the necessary morale boost needed to deliver on the mandate.
“Above all, it is important to reiterate that the success of any census exercise largely depends on the continued advocacy and information available to the public hence the need for sustained conversation on this very important exercise.” As patriots we owe the Commission a duty to maintain advocacy in our various spheres of influence no matter the sacrifices. “Because it is in the best interest of the people to be informed of the advantages of the census exercise so as to key into it as expected”
‘Indeed, the significant investment of resources by the federal government and donor agencies to assist the Commission in the, acquisition and development of massive technological infrastructure and hardware in preparation for the census exercise as well as the elaborate recruitment and training of manpower to compliment the highly modernized process is sincerely worth the wait and in the best interest of the country. “Our country for the first time is equipped with the necessary technological tools as well as the manpower needed to conduct a credible Census exercise that would be acceptable to both the local and international community ” This is a feat that is worthy of our collective public commendation. “Our charge to the Commission is to remain focused on the objective to deliver the first digital census in our history”
“The Commission has demonstrated unparalleled commitment to the success of the census exercise by the systems and structures put in place ahead of the exercise, for us, this is the major take home and hence our appeal for continued advocacy “
The coalition also noted that the Commission under the current leadership has remained committed and ready to deliver when called upon by the president. ” Regardless of the limited resources available, the Commission has continued to engage and rebrand her personnel preparatory to the much awaited exercise ” Overall, from our assessment, the government is going to be the greatest beneficiary as only a credible Census will provide the needed statistics for planning, research and development of the people.
“Furthermore, we commend the frugality and accountability in the management of budgeted resources that has become a culture in the Commission’s policies over the years” The open governance policy of Mr President has resonated strongly with the Commission activities which has given us access to critical information that has boosted our confidence in the Commission ” The Civil Society Organizations have therefore come together to commend the Commission’s leadership and to show solidarity and support to ensure that Nigerians get a credible Census whenever the opportunity presents itself. “
The coalition further expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to the development of the people and the country further emphasizes the need for a credible Census in the shortest possible time “We hope the President is working in this direction, ” the statement added.
The coalition called on the Commission to join hands with Civil Society Organizations, faith based organizations and students groups to sustain the much needed advocacy ahead of the census exercise. “While the Commission is empowered by law to conduct periodic census, it is clear that the active awareness and participation of the citizenry in the exercise is what will make the objective realistic and we urge all stakeholders to volunteer on the advocacy needed for this noble exercise in the overall interest of development.
The Coalition, while leading the charge on collective and sustained advocacy by stakeholders, maintained that the gesture was a vote of confidence on the Commission and her leadership demonstrating the organic endorsement of the census exercise by citizens.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says the average price of 5kg of cooking gas increased from N6,430.02 recorded in August to N6,699.63 in September 2024
This is contained in the Bureau’s “Cooking Gas Price Watch’’ for September 2024 released on Friday in Abuja.
The report said the September price represented a 4.
19 per cent increase, compared to what was obtained in August.The NBS said the average price of 5kg of cooking gas increased on a year-on-year basis by 59.
90 per cent from N4,189.96 in September 2023 to N6,699.63 in September 2024.On state profile analysis, the report showed that Rivers recorded the highest average price at N7,285.
71, followed by Gombe at N7,271.88, and Borno at N7,089.72.It said on the other hand, Kebbi recorded the lowest price at N5,950.00, followed by Kano and Benue at N6,133.33 and N6,143.52, respectively.
Analysis according to the six zones, showed that the North-East recorded the highest average retail price at N6,929.02 for 5kg cooking gas, followed by the South-East at N6,893.47.
“The North-West recorded the lowest average retail price at NN6,382.30,” the NBS said.
Also, the NBS said the average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cooking gas increased by 4.89 per cent on a month-on-month basis from N15,552.56 in August 2024 to N16,313.43 in September.
The report said the average retail price for 12.5kg cooking gas rose by 76.41 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N9,247.40 recorded in September 2023 to N16,313.43 in September 2024.
State profile analysis showed that Rivers recorded the highest average retail price of N17,992.86 followed by Gombe at N17,942.86 and Zamfara at N17,475.00.
On the other hand, the report showed that the lowest average price for 12.5kg of cooking gas was recorded in Adamawa at N13,983.33, followed by Nassarawa and Bauchi with N14,938.50 and N15,000.00, respectively.
Analysis by zone showed that the South-East recorded the highest average retail price of N16,957.29, followed by the South-West at N16,665.45.
The report said the North-East recorded the lowest price at N15,770.75
Similarly, the NBS said the average retail price per litre of kerosene increased to N1,957.44, in September 2024 on a month-on-month basis, showing an increase of 5.97 per cent, compared to the N1,847.59 recorded in August 2024.
According to its National Kerosene Price Watch for September 2024 on a year-on-year basis, the average retail price per litre of kerosene rose by 50.68 per cent from N1,299.03 in September 2023.
On state profile analysis, the report showed that Abuja recorded the highest average price at N2,816.67 per litre of kerosene in August, followed by Kaduna at N2,437.50 and Akwa Ibom at N2,411.11.
“On the other hand, the lowest price was recorded in Bayelsa at N1,416.67, followed by Borno at N1,477.83 and Ekiti at N1,635.00.”
The NBS said the analysis further showed that the North Central recorded the highest average retail price per litre of Kerosene at N2,194.05, followed by the North-West at N2,092.92.
It said the South -East recorded the lowest average retail price per litre of kerosene at N1,718.89.
The report said the average retail price per gallon of Kerosene paid by consumers in September 2024 was N6,818.1, indicating an increase of 5.84 per cent increase from N6,441.94 recorded in August 2024.
“On a year-on-year basis, the average price per gallon of kerosene increased by 55.69 per cent from N4,379.31 in September 2023.
On state profile analysis, it showed that Katsina recorded the highest average retail price at N8,400 per gallon of kerosene, followed by Jigawa at N8,100.00 and Kebbi and Ogun at N8,000.00.
The report said Nasarawa recorded the lowest price at N5,250.00, followed by Adamawa and Niger at N5,281.25 and N5,291.67, respectively.
Analysis by zone showed that the North-West recorded the highest average price per gallon of Kerosene at N7,809.52, followed by the South-East at N7,700.19.
“North-Central recorded the lowest average price per gallon of Kerosene at N6,092.77,” the NBS said. (NAN)
The Federal Government has revoked a section of the Abuja-Kaduna highway contract being handled by Julius Berger over irregularities.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, made this known during the inauguration of the rehabilitation of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road on Thursday in Abuja.
Umahi said that the road contract was awarded to Julius Berger in 2018 under former President Muhammadu Buhari for N391 billion.
The minister said that the Kaduna-Zaria section has been completed and the Zaria-Kano section is almost completed, however, the Abuja-Kaduna section has witnessed slow completion rate in six years.
“We inherited about 240km in the section I and we extended another two kilometres towards Kogi state to repair the road because it is an eye saw.
“So we have additional 7.5km added to the original 750km, the cost that we gave to Julius Berger for this section is N349 billion or N2.03 billion per kilometer and it is on flexible pavement.
“The section one is 38km or 76 single carriageways when you multiply it by two.”
According to Umahi, the cost is N145 billion or N1.9 billion per kilometer adding that the section one and three are being done under tax credit.
He said that the road project needed to be divided into three sections because Julius Berger was demanding a total of 1.5 trillion for the entire road project to be completed in four years.
“However, we do not want that, president Bola Tinubu does not want that, so we predicted the option of balkanising the road into three, which we have done, and he approved it.
“When we did that by writing, Julius Berger accepted it with the rates but we did not know that they would play games by continuing to play delayed tactics.
“At that time, their own section was 710 billion, both what was done and the new thing to be done,so they started in the first section.”
He said that the Ministry of Finance promised to be paying N20 billion every month to get the job done, but Julius Berger asked for an increase which the ministry obliged from N710 to N740 billion.
Umahi said Julius Berger again wrote to the ministry last week asking for a raise from N740 to N903 billion to complete the project, a condition not favourable to the government.
“We decided to go for about four billion naira per kilometer for an existing road we are rehabilitating on asphalt, so our position is that we are not increasing this contract for Julius Berger beyond N740 billion.
“This game must be over. I have invited them for a meeting tomorrow. We cannot do what they want. They have been pushing us around. In Bodo Boni, they got what they wanted.
“They have put the project into politics. So they are using it to demarcate our administration and we think enough should be enough,”he said
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport , Adamu Aliero, commended the President for taking the bold initiative in approving the revocation of the contract and re-awarding it to competent contractors.
Aliero said that the Abuja-Kaduna road has been a thorny issue as far back as 2021, 2022, 2023.
“The governors, the senators, front-line politicians have been complaining on the slow pace of this road. They have been talking about how many people have died because of the deplorable condition of the road.
“Let me say that there is no road in Northern Nigeria that is as important as this road but Julius Berger kept bringing all kinds of excuses.
“This road is a vital link. It connects the northeast, northwest, southeast, south-south, and southwest, the road is very important, it is a national asset.”
Aliero therefore, urged the contractors that have won the award to please speed up and complete the road to ease movement of goods and services to every part of Nigeria.
He also appealed to Julius Berger to restore the confidence Nigerians have in them by completing other section of the road contract they are handling that has not been revoked.(NAN)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has accused Israel of barring medical specialists from entering Gaza to support clinics in the besieged enclave.
The WHO said since August, eight organisations and over 50 specialised personnel had been affected by Israel’s blockade.
The specialists were intended to provide crucial support for various medical services, as well as psychological support for healthcare workers at facilities including the European Gaza Hospital and the Nasser Hospital, the WHO said.
It was reported that among the organisations denied entry was the U.S.non-profit Palestinian American Medical Association, which supports Palestinians in need of medical care.
According to the WHO, this marks the first instance in which Israel has denied entire organisations the ability to participate in relief efforts for the Gaza Strip.
The WHO reported that in the past week, support teams conducted 25 per cent fewer operations than usual.
With only 17 out of 36 clinics and 43 medical practices remaining partially operational, the WHO emphasised the irreplaceable role of these external teams in providing essential medical services.
The WHO called for full access for emergency aid teams. (dpa/NAN)
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