There was jubilation in parts of northern Nigeria today as President Goodluck Jonathan bowed to pressure from a section of northern Nigeria politicians and relieved the Chairman of the country’s National Population Commission, Mr Festus Odimegwu of his position. The president appointed Sam Ahaiwe, the Commissioner representing Abia State in the Commission, to act as chairman pending the appointment of a new chairman of the commission.

Observers were not surprised at the abrupt removal of Odumegwu who at a public function had said: “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”.

Sequel to that indicting statement, which succeed”.

Sequel to that indicting statement, which echoed the views of many experts, northern Nigeria politicians and governors led by Rabiu Kwankwaso undertook a virulent lobby which urged Jonathan to drop Odimegwu. They noted that Odimegwu’s blunt statement was capable of destabilizing the country.

Kwankwaso is the current governor of Kano state which has benefitted the most from the same fraudulent population figures that Odimegwu complained about.

Following his visit to President Jonathan after the vexed Odumegwu statement, Kwankwaso offered the following statement to the media and making a snide reference to Odimegwu’s past as boss of Nigeria Breweries PLC: “…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. 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”.

Although international agencies recognise Lagos as hosting an estimated 15 million people, making it one of the most populated metropolis in the world, Nigeria’s last census exercise which was fraught with fraud as Odimegwu opined, ascribes the largest population to Kwankwaso’s Kano State instead of Lagos.

Africanewscircle learnt that President Jonathan had persuaded Odimegwu to tender the resignation which he accepted today (Thursday).


African Ad Network

http://www.africanewscircle.com/2013/10/17/jubilation-in-parts-of-northern-nigeria-as-population-commission-boss-is-sacked/

I just dey observe

Odimegwu shuldnt have talked, he should have been acting his intentions instead!

No jubilation in the north, this is not enough to cause any jubilee in the north.
Mtsss this kind press!

Oladiran: Odimegwu shuldnt have talked, he should have been acting his intentions instead!

To be honest I'm glad he's out of that position. Let a more sober, calculated administrator take over abeg. He broke a sacred rule of power - 'never let the ppl know what you are thinking'

russellino:

To be honest I'm glad he's out of that position. Let a more sober, calculated administrator take over abeg. He broke a sacred rule of power - 'never let the ppl know what you are thinking'

Actually it is good that he talked. Maybe the past NPC Chairmen thought they could get it right by acting first, but unfortunately they acted and their subordinates wrote the reports that suited the Agenda of the Northern Elites.
Now Odimegwu has talked and he is out, but questions will be asked from now on. People will put more interest in Population figures of this nation. I even forsee som organisations conducting their own private Census to determine whether Odimegwu was right.
Believe me, I am enjoying the uproar Odimegwu's out spokeness has caused.

Brb

Whether there was jubilation or not, it does not matter!
Whether Odumegwu was sacked or not, it does not matter!
The one important thing is this, the man knows his onions and refused to eat from the national cake and thus cover falsehood!


Dear Odimegwu, you are a hero!

Where in the North??b4 u come and post fake stories here!!!!!

Junk Journalism. . .from 'jubilation in parts of northern Nigeria' to Kano State. North ko, not ni! Someone needs to sue these guys before they think press freedom is freedom to press on with their bigotry. We are aware of the Lagos/Kano issue but to come up with conjectures, warr-a-mess!

MSchewwww

Anyway, thank you for providing the site - that's another reason not to visit Africanewscircle.

Where in the North?Rubbish and nonsense journalism.How removal Festus concern North.Jobless set of people

Why is north always rejoicing when Nigeria goes a step backward.
They rejoice for non passage of PIB
They rejoice for establishment of Federal Character
They rejoice for release of Al Mustapha
They rejoice for

ITbomb: Why is north always rejoicing when Nigeria goes a step backward.
They rejoice for non passage of PIB
They rejoice for establishment of Federal Character
They rejoice for release of Al Mustapha
They rejoice for

Probably you did not read the posts above yours.

Oladiran: Odimegwu shuldnt have talked, he should have been acting his intentions instead!

You are very correct.

Niggmatic:

Probably you did not read the posts above yours.

Not at all, he didn't read it because he is drunk with hatred which will soon devour him

Some Harvard-trained Ninny like dufus aganga will start basing policies on distorted GDP figures and think we are all falling for it.. (well 90% of Nigerians already fell for it)

jubilation in the north? which north? northern Africa?

DerideGull:


You are very correct.

You are a sample of waste product of Nigeria. Your utterances here represent what you stood for which I never doubt but my concern is for you to not infect this disease on the rest. I can't help my mood when i read some shit watering out from mouths of amateur citizens of this country. This man bolded act and your sit-down look president provides a clue on the outcome of NC. He's going to still bow to pressure when its time to implement the issue and submission of his kangaroo national dialogue.

There is also jubilation in the south that Odimegwu dared to say what we know but are scared to talk about.

i'm not suprise ,they are jubilating because Nigeria will cease to exist by Jan.2014.

jas_o:
You are a sample of waste product of Nigeria. Your utterances here represent what you stood for which I never doubt but my concern is for you to not infect this disease on the rest. I can't help my mood when i read some shit watering out from mouths of amateur citizens of this country. This man bolded act and your sit-down look president provides a clue on the outcome of NC. He's going to still bow to pressure when its time to implement the issue and submission of his kangaroo national dialogue.

I do not know how you pride your silly self. However one thing is clear punk, I do not give inconsequential hoot about how you blindly see the cesspit called Nigeria. I have dispatched junks such as you in a dirty gutter and never to regard them as compatriots.

russellino:

To be honest I'm glad he's out of that position. Let a more sober, calculated administrator take over abeg. He broke a sacred rule of power - 'never let the ppl know what you are thinking'

Exactly My thoughts, He Should Have Acted Instead of Talking. Some Words are Better Left Unsaid!

ITbomb: Why is north always rejoicing when Nigeria goes a step backward.
They rejoice for non passage of PIB
They rejoice for establishment of Federal Character
They rejoice for release of Al Mustapha
They rejoice for

ITbomb, please your attention is needed as par your GIFT -

https://www.nairaland.com/1473001/free-trendy-wrist-watch-more#18919605

the pres. shld not bow 2 pressures easily...he shld av back bone & tak critical decisns without fear of fav..it shows dat d nxt census will also b a fraud cetaris paribos....

russellino:

To be honest I'm glad he's out of that position. Let a more sober, calculated administrator take over abeg. He broke a sacred rule of power - 'never let the ppl know what you are thinking'

russellino:

To be honest I'm glad he's out of that position. Let a more sober, calculated administrator take over abeg. He broke a sacred rule of power - 'never let the ppl know what you are thinking'

russellino:

To be honest I'm glad he's out of that position. Let a more sober, calculated administrator take over abeg. He broke a sacred rule of power - 'never let the ppl know what you are thinking'

i dont bliv dat, goin by ur rule d central bk gov shld av bin sackd 2 b'cos dat man talks 2 much..just because he is a nortner dose no bdi is calin 4 his head..rather i blame d pres. 4 falin 2 pressure 4rm dem. dis more of politics dan obeyn dat rule

Let them rejoice in their ignorance and remain the poorest region in the country due to their religious drunkeness.

are the northerners not expected to cry. Do the northerners think they can win a war. the answer is no. the north is too weak to win a war.

they are the loser . If a war happen most northerner will end up like niger republic.

The north should accept they are minority. Look will the north vote Jonathan. the answer is NO.

the north will loss a war.

base in the south, the north is a powerless part of nigeria, that have no military strength to fight. nigeria only has military schools in the north..


North will not have any finance to fight a war. because the north dependent on the south for money. how will the north pay workers.

Kwankwaso is funny, if Jonathan state allocation for one day. Kwankwaso will change his mind and accept the truth.

nigeria has guide missile system that will hit the north, abuja from the sea... so the north is too weak to fight. they should just accept they are minority . all their shakara.
they will not get the president in the next 100 years... never .. you see many countries are not part of the united nation. they are living their lifes.


[img]http://beegeagle.files./2013/03/63968_431503553605403_1043025767_n.jpg?w=640[/img]

[img]http://beegeagle.files./2013/06/na-sfbtr-3-apc.jpg[/img]

you are going to move every military tank from the north.. that way. they cant fight. look you have 200 million people to protect.. if there is no weapon in the north. nobody is fighting anyone.. is because they have weapon there, that why they are making shakara.. if you remove them and leave them with cutlass..

when you remove all military weapon. you can remove a portion of nigeria.. with no weapon in the north. nobody is doing anything.

eagle,eye:

Actually it is good that he talked. Maybe the past NPC Chairmen thought they could get it right by acting first, but unfortunately they acted and their subordinates wrote the reports that suited the Agenda of the Northern Elites.

No, he shouldn't have talked. The most important quality a leader for radical change needs is "will". Odimegwu needed not to make his displeasure known at all. He should have secretly started putting in place strategies that will check fraud in the next census. This will catch them unawares. The past chairmen didn't have the will to do things differently. So I don't think they did anything right in the first place. A football coach doesn't disclose his real intentions before executing a football match.

Chai! Musiwa don close church Oya make una dey go house.

Nigeria should break!

These northerners irks me!

Imagine the statement that kwansoko made!! '...he is taking his products and a drunk and bla bla bla whatever else..'!!!
Is that a credible statement against the man?

Why are these people so dunce?

And besides, what is the former boss of a brewing company doing as a chairman for population census for God's sake?

Dnt we have people who study statistics anymore?

eagle,eye:

Actually it is good that he talked. Maybe the past NPC Chairmen thought they could get it right by acting first, but unfortunately they acted and their subordinates wrote the reports that suited the Agenda of the Northern Elites.
Now Odimegwu has talked and he is out, but questions will be asked from now on. People will put more interest in Population figures of this nation. I even forsee som organisations conducting their own private Census to determine whether Odimegwu was right.
Believe me, I am enjoying the uproar Odimegwu's out spokeness has caused.

shebi Lagos is registering its residents ? By next year we shall have a closer estimate of Lagos population then breeze will blow & Kano yansh will explain how it managed to be more populated than Lagos state defying all sense & logic.