The National Population Commission (NPC) has said only power banks were auctioned in Cross River State, dismissing allegations that census materials were diverted to All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters in Biase Local Government Area.
The commission also said the auction followed approval by the Presidency after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) raised safety concerns over some items, including power banks nearing their expiry dates.
The Director of the NPC in Cross River, Roland Odey, gave the explanation in Calabar on Friday while responding to social media allegations that the commission’s Federal Commissioner in the state, Bishop Alex Ukam, had diverted census materials, including power banks and life jackets, to APC supporters in Biase.
Odey described the allegations as false, saying they were aimed at damaging the reputations of Ukam and the commission.
He explained that sensitive materials procured for the national population and housing census, including laptops, tablets, power banks, raincoats and life jackets, had been kept in CBN custody for security reasons.
According to him, the CBN subsequently wrote to the Presidency over safety concerns, particularly the risks posed by power banks approaching their expiry dates.
“The Presidency thereafter authorised the auction of such items,” he said.
Odey said the NPC headquarters in Abuja subsequently directed its state offices to liaise with the CBN to facilitate the exercise. Licensed professional auctioneers engaged by the national headquarters were responsible for conducting the sales across the country, he added.
In Cross River, the auction began last Monday and lasted two days at the commission’s office in Calabar, attracting a large crowd of buyers and onlookers.
Odey maintained that the state office did not control the sales, which he described as open and transparent.
He specifically rejected claims that life jackets and other census materials were sold or diverted, insisting that only power banks were auctioned in the state.
The director urged politicians and social media users to verify information before publishing allegations, warning that unsubstantiated claims could damage reputations and cause unnecessary embarrassment.
He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to transparency and integrity ahead of the forthcoming population and housing census.
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