* Approves pardon for 159 inmates
*FG targets April 2023 for national census
* Gowon, Abubakar, Jonathan attend Council of State meeting
By Egena Sunday Ode
President Muhammadu Buhari will next Tuesday meet with security chiefs in Abuja as the nation searches for solution to the worsening insecurity in the country.
Jigawa State Governor, Abubakar Badaru, disclosed this Thursday while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the Council of State meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.
According to the governor, the meeting between the President and the security chiefs is to enable them take a look at recommendations and comments by members of the Council whose Thursday meeting focused largely on security.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on his part said the Council of State approved 159 out of 162 applications presented for consideration for perogative of mercy for convicts and inmates in correctional centers.
The Council, he said, rejected proposal to grant pardon to one of the prisoners sentenced to 120 years for stealing over N25 billion. The reason for seeking for pardon was because of life threatening illness, he said.
The second person whose pardon was rejected was convicted for forgery, sentenced for 14 years and has stayed in prison for a year and six months so far.
The third person was involved in a case of obtaining money by false pretense, known in local parlance as 419, and was sentenced for seven years.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government is targeting April 2023 to hold national census, just soon after after the general election slated for February and March.
As a precursor to that, the National Population Commission, NPC, is to conduct Pilot Census in June this year, after political parties primary elections expected to be concluded in May.
Director General NPC, Nasir Isa-Kwarra, made the disclosure also at the end of the Council of State meeting in which he participated.
According to the NPC boss, the commission will deploy high technology in the conduct of the National Census.
He said census data is generated for planning, observing that the data currently being used are mere projections and have become obsolete.
Isa-Kwarra said: “It is very crucial because I have highlighted that the Census is a very important exercise for the nation. Because through census we generate the data that we use for policy making, for planning, for development, by the three tiers of government, and the private sector, they all need this.
“If you are a private sector, you’re producing something, certainly, you need to know the population of an area if you want to create a market there.
“So census data is very crucial, very important. Because, the data we’ve been using are just projections, estimation and are sort of obsolete, we need the actual census data to use for our planning.“
The Minister of Special Duties, George Akume, on his part said Council approved the conferment of National Honours Award on 434 Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in their various field of endeavours.
Earlier, the meeting observed a minute silence in honor of former head of Interim government Ernest Shonekan who died on January 11 2022.
This is the fourth time President Buhari will preside over the Council meeting, with the first held on October 21, 2015 and the second on September 7, 2016. The third was held virtually in August 2020.
The Council of State is an organ of the Federal Government saddled with the responsibility of advising the executive on policy matters.
Members of the council include President, Vice President, past presidents, Senate President, House of Reps Speaker Chief Justice of Nigeria, serving and past.
Others are Attorney General of the Federation, all State Governors and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Those in attendance at the meeting were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the government of the Federation Boss Mustapha, National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno, and Chief of Staff to the President Prof. Ibarahim Gambari.
Former heads of state physically in attendance were Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar and Goodluck Jonathan.
Others attended the meeting virtually from their various locations.
State governors in attendance are Hope Uzodinma (Imo), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Atiku Bagudu(Kebbi), Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), Nasir El Rufai (Kaduna) amongst others.
