President Muhammadu Buhari has been advised to expedite actions towards empowering the National Population Commission (NPC), and other concern agencies in ensuring that census head-count is being conducted across the country by or before 2018 to further accelerate the desired development in the nation.

The Emir o Okuta and Chairman Baruten Traditional Council, Alhaji Abubakar Sero Idris, stated this in an interview with journalists at his palace on Sunday noting that, “only an accurate census exercise can foster the growth we desire in this nation.”

It would be recalled that the National Assembly through a motion recently moved by Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna North) noted that Section 24 of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (as amended) empowers the NPC to produce demographic, socio-economic and health data by conducting census surveys and registering births, deaths and migration.

According to the Emir, “Although, the United Nations recommended the conduct of census every 10 years in view of its importance to the socio-economic and development planning, observing that it’s exactly 10 years since Nigeria conducted the last census in 2006.

“But with the current insecurity facing the nation especially in the north-east, it is our hope and prayer that the issue of terrorism will be the thing of the past very soon so that by 2018, the exercise will be well conducted among the entire populace without fear or favour and not leaving any region behind.”

This, according to him, “will not only assist the government in having access to the accurate statistics that will further reveal the figure of the total population of the people of the country, but it will also assist in blocking leakages and excess use of public fund for undesirable projects by some political officer holders.”

He further noted that “In fact to me, instead of clamouring for creation of more states, I belief that creation of more local governments will be more beneficial especially to the people of rural communities towards accelerated grassroots development. It is only this method that can assist us as a people on one side, and also develop us as a nation in general.”

The Traditional ruler also appealed to the ruling All Progressive Party, (APC), the leadership of the National Assembly as well as the Presidency to come together and work as a team in order to meet up with their numerous campaign promises to the people of the nation.