Posted by By Chidiebere Iwuoha on
The Imo State House of Assembly led by Barr. Kelechi Kennedy Nwagwu has urged the South East geopolitical zone to boycott the forth coming National Housing and Population Census slated for November this year, unless such important items associated with census exercises in the past, such as state of origin, tribe, and religion are included in the forms.
The Imo State House of Assembly led by Barr. Kelechi Kennedy Nwagwu has urged the South East geopolitical zone to boycott the forth coming National Housing and Population Census slated for November this year, unless such important items associated with census exercises in the past, such as state of origin, tribe, and religion are included in the forms. This was the decision taken after arguments for and against the boycott were heard. It was eventually put to vote and those who supported the boycott carried the day.
Clarifying on the issue later, the chief sponsor of the motion, Hon. Amaechi Nwoha who also represents Nwangele State Constituency said he and his colleagues were calling on the National Population Commission (NPC) to do the right thing because they believed the country was capable of conducting an accurate, free and fair census, credible and believable to every body. And that the way to achieve this was not by excluding certain items that were naturally part of the census requirements as done all over the world. He added that everybody was working to get it right once but that the process of doing it right should not involve another process of undermining what the law was or the statistics needed to make an accurate census. "Removing those items will not in any way make it credible. If NPC is not capable or does not have what it takes to conduct an accurate census, they should tell Nigerians. These issues are vital and fundamental in the conduct of census", he lectured.
Hon. Nwoha sounded it loud and clear that the removal of these items was aimed or targeted not only against the Ibos but against their South-South and Middle Belt brothers. He said those people would lose once state of origin was removed, because the Federal Government would give allocations or provide amenities based on the number of people found in a particular area and the people mentioned above were the most traveled. And because of the cities and towns they populated, would help those areas get Federal Government assistance as against their areas at home now sparsely populated. He added that he and his colleagues would be ready to accept the provisions if only state of origin was abolished in admissions, in employments, in appointments, in contest of elections and in filling other forms in the country. "We will now feel free and believe they are being nationalistic and building an ideal nation".
Noted for his outspokenness, Hon. Nwoha also commented on the just concluded National Confab. He described it as a "talk shop" because their decisions had been subjected to a debate at the National Assembly. "If they wanted the Confab report to be biding on us they would have said it from the beginning. It would have been made sovereign". He was not happy that no mention was made of the census exercise in the Confab.
On rotational presidency, he said for democracy to thrive or to ensure sustenance of democracy the country must agree that there were six geopolitical zones on which the presidency must rotate. And that the North/South system was a fallacy and no longer in existence. Its recognition, he said would only take us back to pre-independence era.
He also stated that the decision on resource control was not based on what was on ground or fair and just. "You can not tell me that the increment from 13% to 17% is a true reflection of the day Nigeria. They should know that there is a region where this thing is tapped and the geo-physical damage done to that area is enormous and that area has a very difficult terrain, which needs enormous money to develop.
You cannot compare development in South-South and South East to development in South-West and Northern part of the country. There is no basis of comparison. 99% of the resources used in developing the North and the South West are the resources tapped from the Eastern region. This is unfair. I thought the confab, recognizing this basic difference would have increased the derivation percentage to 50% or manage 25% as the minimum increase acceptable for now".
On the recent reduction of the tenure of LG Chiefs in the state from 3 2 years by the Assembly, Hon. Nwoha made it clear that a performer "does not need to stay up to four years before he performs". He described the LG system as a sorry state and that the decision to reduce their tenure was a populist one.
He added that the law which made it 3 years for them was made by them (law makers) and that they reserved the right to amend it. Therefore the issue of reducing it midway or that it was unconstitutional did not arise. But if any body wanted he should challenge it in court. He further explained that the Assembly took into consideration the fact that they had already spent one year as Transition Committee Chairmen before being elected Executive Chairmen. He informed that they received commendations from Imo people as a result of this decision, if not, there would have been protest march.