The Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly, Chiefs and people have been called upon to support any effort of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) to strategically improve the timelines of census results, by mobilising their people during the Census period.
The call was made by the Municipal Chief Executive, Joseph Amiyuure Aturah, during the inauguration of a seven-member implementation committee of the Bolgatanga Municipal Census (BMC) of the 2020 Population and Housing Census in the Upper East Region.
The inauguration brought on board a seven member committee. The members are Ayimbonu Micheal, Nation Commission for Civic Education (NCCE); Abdul Ganiyu Samed, Regional Statistical Officer (RSO); Felicia Fati Mijimah, Information Services Department (ISD); Bawa Abdul Hamid, Ghana Health Service (GHS); Anne Estella Kye-eeboo, Ghana Education Service (GES); Sumaila Abudu, Bolgatanga Municipal Coordinating Director chairman; and Abdul Latif Latifa, Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) DCO Bolgatanga Municipal.
They were charged with the responsibility of implementing the 2020 and Population and Housing Census. The committee members took the oath of office and secrecy and were sworn into office by the Municipal Chief Executive.
In his welcome address, the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Aturah stated: “the invitation was a platform to discuss pertinent national issues regarding the 2020 Census,” adding that, “their presence demonstrated their unyielding desire to support the Municipal census implementation committee, to effectively execute their mandate.”
He also underscored the importance of the meeting as an interactive dialogue between users and producers of official statistics, in the context of the National Development Planning. Mr. Aturah further indicated that, there is the need for data producers to work with all partners from the data ecosystem, to stimulate dialogue for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Agenda 2063, for sustainable development.
The Municipal Coordinating Director and Chairman of the Municipal Implementation Committee (MCIC), Sumaila Ewuntomah Abdu cautioned that, the committee inaugurated must be allowed to do their work and not used as rubber stamp. Mr. Abudu stated vehemently that, as far as he is concerned as chairman, “there will be no room for any manipulations whatsoever”.
The committee members were advised to discharge their duties with high degree of diligence and dedication, to justify the confidence reposed in them and to ensure all stakeholders resolve to work to the success of the 2020 Census.
The Regional Statistician, Felix Geli, indicated that 2020 Census is to collect information on those who will spend the census night in Ghana on June 28, 2020.
There are those who will spend the census night at home, on transit, at hospitals as workers and as patients, and those who would be travelling. There are also those who will spend it on the streets known as the homeless among others.
He added: “the uniqueness of this year’s census is that, it’s going to depend heavily of on technology.”
Story filed by Emmanuel Akayeti.
