The House of Representatives to Probe N200bn Expenditure on Postponed Census

The Nigerian Population Commission’s expenditure from the approved N800bn for the conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census will be investigated by the House of Representatives.

This decision came after the adoption of a motion put forward by Dominic Okafor, a lawmaker representing Aguta Federal Constituency in Anambra State. The motion was titled “Need to investigate the expenditure on the postponed 2023 Population and Housing Census by the National Population Commission and Conduct of the National Population/Housing Census.”

NewsNow reports that the census, originally scheduled for May 3-7, 2023, was indefinitely postponed by the former President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

Presenting his argument, Okafor mentioned that despite the postponement, the NPC had revealed that they had already spent N200bn out of the N800bn budgeted for the planning and execution of the census.

According to Okafor, the funds used for the postponed census could have significantly improved the lives of many Nigerians and enhanced the distribution of palliatives across the country.

Okafor urged President Bola Tinubu to set a new date for the census in order to ensure meaningful development. He stated that failure to do so would render the data already collected for the population census invalid.

In support of the motion to investigate the expenditure by the NPC, Usman Jaha, the lawmaker representing Damboa/Gwoza/Chibok Federal Constituency, highlighted the security situation in various parts of the country, including the North-East, North-West, and North-Central, making it inappropriate to conduct the population census.

The House, in adopting the motion, decided to drop the request for the President to select a new date for the census and instead resolved to investigate the money spent on the postponed census.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, referred the motion to the Committee on Population for appropriate advice.