The Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom has urged the Federal Government to suspend the conduct of the National Population Census until all Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are returned to their ancestral homes.
Ortom made the call Thursday when he received a delegation from the Middle Belt Forum led by its President, Dr Bitrus Pogu at Benue People’s House, Makurdi.
The Governor stated that close to two million indigenes of Benue State were in IDP camps and would not be counted because they need to be in their localities before they can participate in the exercise.
Ortom stated that what the Federal Government must do before carrying out the census was to ensure adequate security for the IDPs in Benue and elsewhere in the country to go back to their homes to be counted.
He said,
“I want to say that the Federal Government should suspend the issue of census because it looks like the proposed census is coming with an agenda.
“So until they are able to restore security and all our IDPs go back to their ancestral lands to give all of them opportunities to be counted in the homes of birth. Because I understand from the National Population Commission that those to be counted must be counted in their localities.”