Akwa Ibom State Government has charged National Population Commission (NPC) to apply equity, justice and fairness in the figures that will emanate from the coming 2023 Population and Housing Census.

The charge was given by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ini Ememobong, yesterday in Uyo, the state capital, while playing host to a delegation from NPC, led by the Federal Commissioner representing the state at the Commission, Chief Benedict Ukpong.

Ememobong pointed out that census is a game of numbers, as displayed in the ongoing 2023 elections, and urged the Commission to apply equity, justice and fairness in the process by counting the people of the state proper.

The information commissioner, who bemoaned the general unacceptability of figures in past exercises in Nigeria, expressed the hope that with digitisation in the forthcoming census, equity and justice will come into play in the figures that will be collated and declared in the 2023 exercise.

Noting that nobody could talk about census without mentioning figures, he said Governor Udom Emmanuel, who is from the data, economics and banking industry, is very particular about figures and concerned about the forthcoming national census, particularly the figures that will emanate from the state.

While commending the NPC Federal Commissioner, who is from the state, for doing a great job so far, he pledged the continued support of the state government towards the success of 2023 Census.

In his remarks, Ukpong expressed delight at the opportunity to discuss the way forward for the 2023 Census in the state, stating that the journey towards the conduct of the first-ever digital census in Nigeria has not been an easy task.

He said: “In line with the avowed decision to give every Nigerian a sense of belonging and participation in the forthcoming census, the commission launched the e-recruitment portal, where everyone had an opportunity to register and participate in the census, based on merit and experience,” he added.