CHAIRMAN of the National Population Commission (NPC), Festus Odimegwu, has resigned his appointment from the commission.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim, in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by his special assistant (media), Mr Sam Nwaobasi, said President Goodluck Jonathan had already accepted the resignation of Odimegwu.
The statement said the president also approved the appointment of Dr Sam Ahaiwe, the commissioner representing Abia State in the commission, as acting chairman, pending the appointment of a substantive chairman.
There had been intense pressure from commissioners and members of the public calling for Odimegwu’s resignation as NPC chairman, following comments credited to him about poor conduct of previous census and allegation of fraud and marginalisation against his predecessor, Chief Samaila Makama.
Odimegwu had, in a recent interview with journalists in Abuja, said the country had not had any credible census since 1816.
He had blamed the irregularity on the distortion and falsification of figures for selfish and political reasons.
“No census has been credible in Nigeria since 1816. Even the one conducted in 2006 is not credible. I have the records and evidence produced by scholars and professors of repute. This is not my report. If the current laws are not amended, the planned 2016 census will not succeed,” he was quoted to have said.
Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankanso, at a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan a few weeks ago, was said to have faulted the appointment of the NPC boss.
He demanded the sack of Odimegwu for allegedly criticising the works of his predecessor, claiming that Odimegwu was incapable of conducting the 2016 national census.
The Federal Government then had issued Odimegwu a query to explain the reasons behind his utterances.
However, the SGF, in a statement on Thursday, said “President Jonathan has accepted the resignation of Odimegwu as chairman of NPC with effect from Thursday, October 17, 2013.
“Dr Sam Ahaiwe, the commissioner representing Abia State in the commission, will act as chairman, pending the appointment of a substantive chairman.”
Mr Pius Osunyikanmi was also appointed on Thursday as Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Technical Aids Corps.
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