No fewer than 70,000 people have applied for 15,000 ad hoc jobs in Nasarawa State for the forthcoming National Population Census scheduled for May 3.
The commissioner representing the state in the National Population Commission (NPC), Mr Silas Agara, revealed this yesterday in Akwanga.
He also hinted that not less than 7,000 had been defrauded through fake approvals on the internet, warning applicants against desperation.
According to him, only 15,000 ad hoc staff would be engaged to work as supervisors and enumerators during the exercise across the 13 local government areas of the state.
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Agara, a former deputy governor of the state, said, “A total of 70,782 applied and what we needed was only 15,000 ad hoc staff to conduct the forthcoming census in Nasarawa State.
“In Karu LGA, a total of 18,000 applied and all we needed was 4,000. In Lafia LGA, 11,900 applied but only 3,000 are needed. In Akwanga, 6,600 applied but only 509 are needed for the job,” he added.
Agara, who stated that some applications were still hanging because only a limited number of people were needed for the jobs, urged applicants to be patient as not everyone would be taken.
He clarified that religion and ethnicity were not included in the questionnaire.
On internally displaced persons (IDP) and individuals seeking to travel back to their states of origin for capture during the census, he stated that the system had been programmed such that the number would be added to the state where they work.
Meanwhile, the Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, Oba Ajibade Alabi, has called on the people of the town and environs to make themselves available to be counted in the census.
He spoke yesterday in his palace when he received the National Population Commissioner in Ekiti State, Mr Deji Ajayi, on an advocacy parley.
The Alawe stressed that adequate socio-economic planning for a country or any community depends on a correct head count.
Ajayi explained that there would be no unwarranted movement of people during the headcount exercise.
He said technology would be deployed to aid an accurate head count, adding that the staff had been well-trained.
