No fewer than 119 officials of National Population Commission (NPC) have taken oath of secrecy ahead of the trial census in Enugu State.
The oath of secrecy, which was administered by Chief Magistrate in Enugu East, Mrs Uzo Ozobu-Ozoeze, was taken by 104 enumerators, nine supervisors and six other top officials of NPC involved in the trial census in the state.
Speaking to newsmen after the oath on Tuesday, the Federal Commissioner Representing Enugu State in NPC, Chief Ejike Ezeh, said that the oath was taken to ensure all information given to them would be confidentially kept.
Ezeh, who was represented by the State Director NPC for Enugu State, Mrs Ngozi Onyia, said that the oath would ensure that the information got during the trial census did not leak out to unauthorized members of the public.
“We want every other official involved in the trial census to keep the information given to them confidential and not reveal or expose the information to unauthorised persons.
“The official should ensure that they do not discuss or disclose any information got in the process of the trial census to relatives, close associates and friends for no reasons.
“The information given by residents of the state during the trial census must remain confidential to the commission,” Ezeh said.
He said that 104 enumerators are currently undergoing training for 12 days ahead of the NPC Trial Census in nine local government areas in Enugu State.
According to him, in total, 7,718 Enumeration Areas have been selected for the Trial Census to test run suitability and readiness for the actual census in 2023.
The federal commissioner said that the nine LGAs for the Trial Census had been selected three council areas each from the three senatorial zones.
Ezeh said that in Enugu East Senatorial Zone included: Nkanu West; Enugu North and Isiuzo council areas; that for Enugu North Senatorial zone included: Udenu, Uzo-Uwani and Igboeze council areas; while Enugu West Senatorial Zone included: Ezeagu, Oji River and Udi council areas.
He explained that the trial census would be used to test the new technology and innovations in the national census enumeration proper both in terms of e-recruitment of personnel and use of special configured computer tablets for the exercise.
Ezeh noted that “the trial census is not the actual enumeration of persons for the 2023 Population and Housing Census”, adding that the outcome of the Trial Census would not form the basis of the 2023 Census.
“Data generated during the Trial Census will not be used to arrive at figures for the 2023 Census which is going to be zero-based and from information collected in April 2023,” he added.
He, however, called on stakeholders and the general public especially residents, security agencies and the media to support the Trial Census to ensure its huge success in Enugu State.
