Statistical association to check quackery in statistics profession
NAN-HE- 12
Statistics
By Cecilia Ologunagba
Abuja, Feb. 27, 2017 (NAN) Prof. Sidney Onyeagu, the President of Nigerian Statistical Association (NSA), says the association is working to establish Chartered Institute of Statisticians of Nigeria (CISON) to check quackery in the profession.
Onyeagu said this in Abuja on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He said that the association would transit from NSA to CISON, once the bill before the National Assembly received the endorsement of the nation’s president.
‘‘CISON is a body just like ICAN that will regulate the work that statisticians should do, so they will also declare who is a statistician before you become a member.
‘‘You must have your BSC or HND; then you take some examinations before you become a Chartered Statistician.
‘‘If you are not a statistician, once the bill is passed and signed, you cannot do the work of a statistician just like it is for the lawyers and accountants.
‘‘All the surveys that we are taking people for, there must be statisticians; that is why most of the time, the data they collect are not reliable,’’ the official said.
Onyeagu, a research professor in the Department of Statistics, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, emphasised that one of the reasons for inaccurate data was because those doing the surveys were mostly not statisticians.
‘‘Some people say statistics is full of lies, if the work of statisticians is done by the statisticians, we will get accurate and reliable data.
‘‘It is like during the census now if those who are handling it in the local government are statisticians, they will check if what the enumerators are doing are correct or not,’’ he said.
According to him, the CISON Bill has four parts.
‘‘Part one is the Establishment of the Chartered Institute of Statisticians of Nigeria; Part two is the Registrar and the Register; Part three is Professional Discipline and Part four is General and Miscellaneous.’’
Onyeagu said the institute would determine what standards of knowledge and skill were to be gained by persons seeking to become members of the statistics profession.
He said that the institute would have the duties to revise those standards from time to time as circumstances might permit.
‘‘It will secure, in accordance with this bill, the establishment and maintenance of registers of fellows, associates and registered statisticians entitled to practise as statisticians.
‘‘The institute will also publish, from time to time, lists of those persons in the categories,’’ he said.
In addition, he said that NSA, in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics, had inaugurated the Young Statisticians of Nigeria(YSNiaja) wing of the association.
He said that the group usually consist those studying statistics at undergraduate, Masters to Post-doctoral levels and those who graduated in the last five years or more working in a statistics-related areas.
He said that the young statistician group would provide an avenue for a smooth transition from the young to the full-fledged mainstream of the parent association.
Onyeagu said that a workshop had been organised for YSNiaja to build, nurture and equip young professionals with practical skills in all aspects of statistics, to solve national problems.
‘‘The forum also created an opportunity for networking and meeting with peers and distinguished statisticians.
‘‘The forum will provide an interface between statisticians in their early career and all the NSA activities such as conferences and workshops as well as between statistical employers and employees.
‘‘It will further foster the exchange of information and scholarly activities and mentorship for young statisticians,’’ he said. (NAN)
CIA/MOL/IA
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Idris Abdulrahman
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