The phase 10 Enumeration Area Demarcation, EAD, for Ughelli North Council has commenced with a flag-off of the exercise by the Federal Commissioner representing Delta State in the Board of the National Population Commission, Sir Richard Odibo.
The event, held at the Council Hall of Ughelli North council, Monday, had officials of the commission, functionaries, leaders of various communities in the local government in attendance.
Speaking during the ceremony, Sir Odibo said the EAD is the vehicle that drives the entire census process in the pre-census, actual enumeration and post-census period.
He recalled that the Commission in phases 2 and 3 of the exercise had previously demarcated six councils in the state — Ukuani, Udu, Warri South, Isoko North, Ika North-East — assuring that the remaining local government areas in the state would be demarcated in subsequent phases.
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To be prepared for the task, training of the enumerators who would carry out the assignment kicked off immediately.
The training would last from Monday, October 5, through Friday, October 9.
Speaking, Odibo appealed to community leaders, the local gov
ernment council, the police and all stakeholders to give the needed assistance to the functionaries for the success of the exercise.
He explained that the significance of the EAD goes beyond the conduct of the next population and housing census as “we plan to establish and maintain a national frame, including locality list and house numbering for future censuses and surveys in line with the mandate of the Commission.
“The Commission is deploying sophisticated technology in carrying out the EAD. The methodology for the census is designed to achieve full Geographic Information System, GIS, compliance, high-resolution satellite imagery as well as Personal Digital Assistance, PDA, that will be used to capture spatial data and estimated Enumeration Areas, Eas, to ensure that no area is left undemarcated or duplicated and any attempt to include non-existent households and buildings in the EAs could be detected through satellite imagery.
“This scientific approach to demarcation will eliminate human elements as the process is capable of detecting human errors and preventing manipulations.
“The EAD will be professionally undertaken in order to avoid overlapping EAs, oversized Eas, undersised EAs and non-existing Eas,” he said.
On his part, the DPO of ‘A’ Division, Nigeria Police, Ughelli, Chief Superintendent Kelvin Zuokumor, who was represented by the Station Officer, Deputy Superintendent Nwabueze Tim Ofe, assured of the preparedness of the police to provide adequate security for the enumerators, while the exercise lasts.
Community leaders also gave assurance of support for the enumerators in providing accommodation, local guides and logistics for the success of the exercise in their various communities.
