Labour Party Accuses FG Of Misusing N234bn National Census Funds To Prosecute 2023 Election

The Federal Government is facing accusations of diverting N234 billion meant for the 2023 national census to fund the 2023 electioneering campaign.

Recall that the National Population Commission had proposed a budget of approximately N800 billion for the census, with N224 billion already disbursed by May 2023, in addition to N10 billion approved in October 2020 for Enumeration Area Demarcation across 546 Local Government Areas.

The Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, in a chat with Sunday Punch alleged that the current administration might not have an answer to what happened to the money released.

“In the last eight years of Muhammed Buhari, this issue of census has come up, and we have never seen it happen. Most of the years, the money released for census matters either just fly away or get swallowed by snakes,” Ifoh said.

The opposition Party further demanded answers on the whereabouts of the funds, questioning whether the money has been returned to the Central Bank or is being held somewhere else.

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“We expect the security agencies to demand and request the money. What has happened to it? If the money has not been used or appropriated, it should be returned to the coffers of the Federal Government,” Ifoh added.

However, the All Progressives Congress (APC) denied the allegations, stating that the census programme is a national assignment that is on course and will eventually be facilitated by the APC administration.

The Deputy National Organising Secretary of the APC, Nze Duru, emphasized the importance of the census data for governance, economic planning, and resource allocation.

He said, “I do not see any concern. I believe that is something that will happen and I know it will happen shortly. We cannot have any provision in the budget without capturing the population of the country and where the people are resident. So, it’s something that we require, and I know efforts are ongoing to ensure it happens.

“In providing the dividends of democracy, we cannot afford not to have that data done. There should not be any hullabaloo about it. It is something that can’t even be done without setting a milestone or a deadline on when this can be done.”

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