Hon. Abdul Isargbo, the Minority Leader and leader of the opposition in Parliament, has affirmed that the All People’s Congress (APC) will actively participate in the forthcoming Housing and Population Census.
This commitment was made during a parliamentary session where the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mohamed-Lamin Tarawally, presented the Constitutional Instruments necessary for legislative approval of the census.
Scheduled for next year, this census will mark the second population count in Sierra Leone within a decade, following the contentious Mid-Term Census conducted in December 2021. Traditionally, population and housing censuses are conducted every ten years, but political disputes over the reliability of the 2015 census data prompted the earlier 2021 census. This deviation from the regular schedule led to significant controversy, including the withdrawal of the World Bank from the process and public calls from some APC leaders urging their supporters to boycott the census.
Addressing Parliament, Hon. Isargbo emphasized the importance of adherence to standard procedures for the upcoming census. “We recognize the flaws that marred previous censuses,” he said. “As the opposition, we want to make it clear that we expect this census to be conducted according to established protocols. We are committed to fully participating and will monitor the process closely.”
Hon. Isargbo also warned that any deviations from proper procedures would prompt protests from the APC. “We will not hesitate to take action if we observe any irregularities in how the census is conducted,” he added.
The APC’s pledge to engage fully in the census process aims to ensure transparency and credibility, addressing past controversies and reinforcing the importance of an accurate population count for national planning and development.
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