The statement that got Population Commiss boss Festus Odimegwu fired by Jonathan in 2013

With the 2023 census scheduled for early May, weeks before the inauguration of president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, MyNigeria takes a look at the reason President Goodluck Jonathan fired Festus Odimegwu as Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC) in 2013.

Mr. Odimegwu according to reports was fired due to comments he made about the population of Nigeria at the time. He was at the time embroiled in controversy over the nation’s census history, with northern politicians calling for his removal.

According to him, Nigeria had not had credible censors since 1816 - he 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,” Mr. Odimegwu was reported to have said.

The Presidency reportedly queried Mr. Odimegwu over the statements after the Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankanso, at a meeting with President Jonathan, faulted Mr. Odimegwu’s appointment as the NPC boss.

“I also raised the issue of the Chairman of the National Population Commission headed by one Festus Odimegwu. We are not happy about that appointment, and think that it was a mistake,” Mr. Kwankanso said in an interview with State House correspondents.

“He had only one thing in alcoholic industry (sic), all his life. And my guess is that he’s taking a lot of his products and that is why we feel that his appointment is a mistake because he cannot be the Chairman of NPC and at the same time attack what his predecessors have done,” the governor said.

President Jonathan according to sources in the administration said, subsequently directed Mr. Odimegwu to resign or be fired.

Festus Odimegwu resigned and was replaced with Sam Ahaiwe, the Commissioner representing Abia State in the Commission who acted as chairman pending the appointment of a substantive boss.

The appointment of Ahaiwe was made known in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media to the Secretary of the Government of the Federation, Sam Nwaobasi.

According to the statement, Mr. Odimegwu’s resignation took effect on Thursday, 17 October.

The last time Nigeria conducted a census exercise was in 2006.

The 2023 exercise will be the fifth national census in the country since Independence and its expected to cost the taxpayer over 190 billion naira.