The controversy over the auction of obsolete materials for the postponed 2023 Population and Housing Census took a new turn on Friday as the National Population Commission (NPC) in Cross River State gave a detailed breakdown of items actually approved for disposal.

The State Director, Prince Odey Roland Auguser, said contrary to viral social media posts claiming 3,000 laptops, 3,000 tablets, 3,000 power banks and extension cables were auctioned to staff and diverted, only five items were approved for Cross River.

According to the press release dated October 20, 2026, the items are 6,080 power banks, 360 extension boxes, 6,082 rain coats, 117 life jackets and 4.6 tons of manuals of instruction.

Auguser said the disposal was sequel to the approval granted by the NPC Board on July 14, 2026 for boarding and disposal of all obsolete census materials, with the Board of Survey saddled with ensuring compliance with the Procurement Act 2007.

He explained that certified auctioneers engaged by the headquarters in Abuja were mandated to conduct the exercise across the federation, while state directors were only to retrieve power banks kept at the Central Bank and present them alongside the other four items in state stores.

“There was no instruction from NPC headquarters or the Federal Government to the auctioneers to auction these items to NPC staff in any form as claimed by the Cross River Coalition for Democratic Accountability & Good Governance,” he stated.

The NPC boss said the auction team led by the Deputy Director, General Services from Abuja, arrived Cross River on October 12, 2026 and conducted a public auction for two days at the state office, except for the usual rowdy nature of a market situation.

He dismissed as baseless allegations that the Federal Commissioner representing Cross River at the NPC Board, Rt. Hon. Barr. Alex Ukam, diverted materials as campaign gifts for the APC candidate for Akamkpa/Biase Federal Constituency, describing it as illogical and inconsistent with public service disposal procedures.

Auguser urged the public to disregard the claims by the group which he accused of playing politics ahead of the Akamkpa/Biase federal constituency by-election.