Eight years after the last national census in the country, the National Census Tribunal has declared null and void the headcount in 14 local government areas of the state ordering the Nigerian Population Commission (NPC) to conduct a fresh headcount in the areas to ascertain the true population figure.
The 14 areas, according to the judgment delivered on June 19-21 this year, are Amuwo-Odofin, Eti-Osa, Alimosho, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Surulere, Epe, Ifako-Ijaiye, Badagry, Apapa, Agege, Ojo, Ajeromi-Ifelodun and Ikeja.
The Lagos State Government had, on behalf of 19 out of 20 old LGAs, which covers 40 out of the new 57 councils in the state, sought the intervention of the National Census Tribunal to nullify the 2006 census figure of 9,113,605 allotted to the state by the NPC based on petitions written by the local governments alleging irregularities, which resulted in the exclusion of many residents from the exercise.
Addressing Government House correspondents on the issue at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Friday, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, said the tribunal, however, did not uphold the petitions of the remaining five local government areas of Shomolu, Ikorodu, Kosofe, Mushin and Oshodi-Isolo on the ground that sufficient proof was not presented by the petitioners.
The Attorney-General, who was at the briefing with his Information and Strategy and Works and Infrastructure counterparts, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba and Dr. Obafemi Hamzat respectively, as well as the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Mr. Hakeem Bello, said: “In the final analysis, the official national census results for 14 old local government councils (now 57 LGAs and LCDAs) in Lagos State have been declared invalid”. He added that the ruling vindicates the state government’s resolve to base its physical and economic plans on a projected population of 17,553,924 in 2006 and over 21 million currently.
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