Dangiwa Umar asked Buhari to suspend the proposed National Census because the security of the country should be the utmost priority of the government, and not an exercise that will drain the already meagre resources available.
By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
Misplaced priority is what a retired colonial Dangiwa Umar brands the plan by the Federal Government to conduct a national census in April 2023.
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Dangiwa Umar, a former Kaduna State military administrator, in a statement on Saturday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to jettison the idea of a census and pay greater attention to the security challenges threatening the existence of the country.
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Dangiwa Umar asked Buhari to suspend the proposed National Census because the security of the country should be the utmost priority of the government, and not an exercise that will drain the already meagre resources available.
Dangiwa Umar, who is the chairman of the Movement for Unity and Progress (MUP), said the idea of conducting a census at this prevailing security situation ravaging the country was not only shocking.but insensitive.
Umar said: “Nigeria is facing existential challenges caused by insecurity and a collapsing economy, and embarking on a national census now would amount to a misadventure and a waste of scarce resources”.
He advised the Federal Government to focus mainly on securing the nation and conducting a successful 2023 elections.
He added: “The decision of the FGN to seek and get the approval of the National Council of State to conduct the 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”.
