2023 Census Ad-hoc Staff Recruitment: 12,000 Applications Received in Anambra – NPC

By Praise Chinecherem

The National Population Commission (NPC) in Anambra State said it has so far received over 12,000 applications in the ongoing e-recruitment exercise ahead of the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

Federal Commissioner representing Anambra in the commission, Mr Chidi Ezeoke gave the charge on Wednesday in Awka during a two-day training workshop for state and local government area recruitment team for the census.

Ezeoke had, during the inuaguration of online e-recruitment portal, revealed that over 30,000 field officers would be recruited for the Population and Housing Census in the State.

He however expressed satisfaction with the number so far captured, adding that Anambra has the highest number of applicants in the Southeast. 

He charged the trainees to be thorough while screening prospective ad-hoc staff for the exercise to ensure unqualified persons were not recruited.

He blamed the death of state’s accountant, Mrs Theresa Okeke recently strangled by her step son who served as an ad-hoc staff during the trial census on lack of indept screening, warning against future recurrence.

He said, “You must be thorough. Don’t screen candidates based on sentiment or that he or she is your brother, sister or friend. Anambra is now a reference point where violence thrives because we lost our staff during the process. 

“If those who applied for the trial census were thoroughly screened, maybe we would not have lost our accountant. Don’t give in to pressure, because it’s the same pressure that led to engaging a murderer in our midst and I wouldn’t want that to happen again. 

“I have to be here physically to emphasize on it. You at the local government know these people more than we do. You must ensure those you’re going to screen are qualified because we’re going to take responsibility of each of them.”

Also speaking, State Director, NPC, Dr Joachim Ulasi said the commission said a total of 66 personnel would be trained during the exercise that would last for 60 days across the 21 Local Governments Areas of the State.