NPC DEDICATES MTEL LINES AS CENSUS 2005 HOTLINES

2005-07-13 19:12:23 | Viewed 678 times

Preparation towards a successful head count in Nigeria got a boost on Wednesday, 06 July 2005 as the management of the Nigerian Mobile Telecommunications Limited (Mtel) donated 57 lines and handsets to the National Population Commission (NPC).

The lines and handsets were presented by the acting Chief Executive Officer, Mtel, Mr. Edwin Moore Momife to the chairman of NPC, Chief Samu’ila Danko Makama, who immediately dedicated the lines as “Census 2005 Hotlines”.

In his address, Momife commended the tenacity of purpose being exhibited by the management team of the NPC for the conduct of Census 2005 later in the year. He said that the census programme being a major demographic policy of the federal government has significant implication for the socio-political and economic development of the country.

The CEO noted that Mtel embraces a focused corporate social responsibility that touches on the people – the very core of the company’s business operations.

Momife assured the NPC officials that Mtel would collaborate with the NPC for a successful demographic exercise, which would no doubt have far reaching implication for businesses as a source of reliable data bank for business planning.

Stating that Mtel management shares in the vision of the NPC for a successful census, he said that the presentation of the Mtel lines and handsets represented practical demonstration of the commitment to the vision.

He expressed hope that the lines would be useful in communicating with the larger Nigerian communities through information dissemination and the feedback mechanism in the conduct of Census 2005.

Receiving the Mtel team at the commission’s headquarters, Chief Makama noted that the gesture from Mtel represented “another giant step towards the successful conduct of the 2005 population and housing census”.

While expressing profound gratitude for the bold initiative taken by Mtel to assist the commission, the NPC chairman noted that the event was unique in the history of the Commission.

According to him, “this is the first time the Commission is receiving donations from a Nigerian corporate organization in support of the Census 2005. The Commission is indeed most delighted by this timely patriotic response to a vital national cause. The Commission is most grateful for this tremendous support from Mtel, which has reinforced our confidence that conducting a successful census in Nigeria is a task that can be accomplished”.

Reiterating the invaluable role the telephone lines would play in the efforts of the Commission to positively mobilise Nigerians for the Census 2005, he noted that effectively communication in the census process is a two way process.

Chief Makama said that it was the strategic place of communication in the census process that compelled the Commission to include the establishment and operations of census hotlines at the headquarters and all the state offices in the 2005 Census Strategy Document and Workplan.

Consequently, he said, “the donation of telephone handsets and lines by Mtel is therefore very timely. It is indeed a major boost to our determination to communicate effectively with Nigerians on all issues related to the 2005 Census”.

The Commission’s chairman gave the assurance that the telephone lines would be put to maximum use. He said as well that the phones would be distributed to all the state offices of the Commission and the headquarters.

According to him, the numbers would be widely publicised in the print and electronic media so that Nigerians will know the hotlines for Census 2005 inquiries. While saying that the census hotlines would be opened to the public for 24 hours, he noted that the operators would be able to respond to public inquiries in major Nigerian languages.

Lastest Comments

Disclaimer: Mobile Africa is not responsible for comments posted on this forum.