Nasir Isa Kwarra; Working the Words In National Population Commission NPC.
By ABUBAKAR YUSUF
Since the appointment of Alhaji Hon Nasir Isa Kwarra as the new Executive Chairman,National Population Commission NPC in October 2020,it has been success story from one program of the commission to another.
With a mandate to conduct a new population and house census in Nigeria,the new helmsman is gradually moving the head count commision from fifteen years behind, which had relegated all indices of national developement to the current position geared towards realising up-to-date headcount and figure in Nigeria.
It all started from bringing on board a highly demoralized,lame duck and decapitated staffers of the commission confronted with alot of negative variables, from lack of needed attention that will spur them into action that almost degenerated to redundancy.
With the new mandate, Kwarra without delay set the ball rolling through a major reorganisation of the entire staffers of the commission, with a view to placing them in a better stead and result oriented in all areas.
He set up several committees that handled staff reorientation,welfare and to also bequeath modest and modern training inline with the current realities.
This positive developement led to the recommendation to government, the need to review upward salaries of staffs,new welfare packages among many others, that is now being looked into by the federal government.
The payment of backlog of arears and claims abandoned for many years was cleared by the current Management under Hon Nasir Isa Kwarra,as last year 2020 ,just few months on assumption of duty,was celebration before celebration of the yuletide in National Population Commission NPC by staffs.
Battling with obsolete equipments and staffers desiring an update both in status, knowledge and intricacies of the new mandate geared towards the success of the 2023 population and housing census,he embarked on aggressive trainings and retrainings not only to update staffs, but modern technology that is the new trend and current order,a departure from what was obtainable for over a decade in 2006 during the last census in Nigeria.
Aside training, procurement of modern equipments to acquaint members and staffers with the growing demands for population census and the target of the commission for 2023,the new leadership through concerted efforts updated both knowledge and equipments of the commission for positive results in the next year census.
With the new elevation of staff both in knowledge, trainings, workshops and talkshops, that had prepared the minds across the country towards a successful census exercise in 2023.
Having achieved greatly within one year in office, with the first Pre-test and second Pre-test exercise was an indication and readiness of the commission to take the country to greater heights, with multiplier effects both in social, economic, infrastructural and political developement of the country.
Th first and second Pre-test exercise, prerequisite to the main census in 2023 recorded a higher success and acceptance both from foreign partners, Nigerians who are eager to know the new official and incontrovertible population figure in Nigeria.
The large success recorded at the first Pre-test exercise in 772 local government out of 774 local government areas in Nigeria inspite of natural and security challenges,showed the impact of the new awareness, trainings and modest equipments and technology introduced by the Kwarra led National Population Commission NPC.
The priority given to information and communication technology ICT that is the other of the day,led to the over 99% success recorded and record breaking achievements in recent time.
This also led to the recent second and final Pre-test exercise held in some local government areas in Nigeria with huge success as the program wined down between December 3rd, and December 10th,2021.
The one week exercise spread across 148 local government areas in Nigeria has laid a solid constitutional foundation towards carrying out the 2023 population and housing census, that will bring Nigeria at par with developing and developed Nations.
The tasks is achievable with the ongoing reforms, reconstruction and rehabilitation of offices across the country, including the headquarters,so as to create an enabling environment for both workers and Nigerians in quest for an egalitarian society.
Coming in the midst of insecurity and global health emergency of COVID among other natural and artificial phenomenon,there is no doubt that the National Population Commission NPC under to the management of Hon Nasir Isa Kwarra will not only achieve population census/ headcount alone,but determined to take Nigeria to the promise land.
Written By Abubakar Yusuf.
