By CrossRiverWatch Admin
The National Population Commission has concluded arrangements for the third phase of the Enumeration Area Demarcation EAD, exercise in the state.
The exercise, which is one of the core activities preparatory to the 2018 Population and Housing Census, will span February 20 – March 10, 2017 in Etung local government area.
The Federal Commissioner for Cross River state in the National Population Commission, Mr. Idi Baba Yakubu who disclosed this, while addressing trainees at Effraya, Etung local government council headquarters, described the enumeration area demarcation exercise as the foundation for the entire census architecture and forms the basis for the planning and execution of the census project.
Mr. Idi Baba Yakubu explained that to ensure a successful enumeration area demarcation exercise, NPC has commenced training for a team of fifty persons recruited, noting that the training program would last between February 13 and 19 for this and subsequent phases of the enumeration area demarcation in the state.
The NPC Federal Commissioner said the trained team would be deployed to other local government areas and assured that barring fund constraints, the Commission would complete the enumeration area demarcation in all local government areas before the end of this year.
This he said would be well ahead of the first quarter date for the 2018 National Population and Housing Census.
He said the NPC has already demarcated thirty-seven local government areas across the thirty-six states and Abuja, with Calabar municipality in Cross River state under the second phase of the exercise.
Mr. Yakubu acknowledged the significance of the EAD as beyond the conduct of the 2018 Census, stressing that NPC intends to establish and maintain a national frame including locality list and house numbering for future censuses and surveys, in line with its mandate.
The NPC Commissioner explained that the Commission would deploy sophisticated technology in carrying out the enumeration area demarcation exercise, to achieve full geographic information system compliance, while high resolution satellite imagery would be used to eliminate duplication as well as ensure that no area is left uncovered.
He further assured that the 2018 Census would be bio-metric based and will capture the facial impression and fingerprints of persons during the Census.
This according to him, was designed to discourage anybody or group from gaining undue advantage through manipulation of the EAD, since only persons physically seen would be counted and their biometrics taken.
He appealed for support from the traditional institutions, local government councils and communities, to enable NPC carry out a hitch free enumeration area demarcation, through access to facilities and places during the exercise.