Eight years after the last national census in the country, the
National Census Tribunal has declared null and void the headcount in 14
local government areas of the state ordering the Nigerian Population
Commission (NPC) to conduct a fresh headcount in the areas to ascertain
the true population figure.
The 14 areas, according to the judgment delivered on June 19-21 this
year, are Amuwo-Odofin, Eti-Osa, Alimosho, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland,
Surulere, Epe, Ifako-Ijaiye, Badagry, Apapa, Agege, Ojo,
Ajeromi-Ifelodun and Ikeja.
The Lagos State Government had, on behalf of 19 out of 20 old LGAs,
which covers 40 out of the new 57 councils in the state, sought the
intervention of the National Census Tribunal to nullify the 2006 census
figure of 9,113,605 allotted to the state by the NPC based on petitions
written by the local governments alleging irregularities, which resulted
in the exclusion of many residents from the exercise.
Addressing Government House correspondents on the issue at the
Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Friday, the state Attorney General
and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, said the tribunal, however,
did not uphold the petitions of the remaining five local government
areas of Shomolu, Ikorodu, Kosofe, Mushin and Oshodi-Isolo on the ground
that sufficient proof was not presented by the petitioners.
The Attorney-General, who was at the briefing with his Information
and Strategy and Works and Infrastructure counterparts, Mr. Lateef
Ibirogba and Dr. Obafemi Hamzat respectively, as well as the Special
Adviser to the Governor on Media, Mr. Hakeem Bello, said: “In the final
analysis, the official national census results for 14 old local
government councils (now 57 LGAs and LCDAs) in Lagos State have been
declared invalid”. He added that the ruling vindicates the state
government’s resolve to base its physical and economic plans on a
projected population of 17,553,924 in 2006 and over 21 million
currently.
No comments:
Post a Comment