Regions observe Census Night with spectacular events

The 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) took off across the country last Sunday night with spectacular activities to capture the attention and participation of all.

Census is the counting of the general population, including taking inventory of every individual and houses, occupied or not.

Activities heralding the enumeration in the regions included bonfires, the sounding of sirens by the security services, particularly the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana National Fire Service, street processions and sharing of information leaflets for educational purposes.

While teams were creating public awareness of the exercise, enumerators were busy from 6p.m. last Sunday and throughout the night counting people in transit and homeless households, referred to as outside sleepers, until 6a.m. yesterday.

Thereafter, the actual counting of the people, which involved taking detailed information about them, including nationality, age, level of education, marital status, number of children, place of residence and resident status, occupation, as well as religion and ethnicity, began.

According to the Central Regional Field Supervisor, Mr. Jacob Andoh, the Census Night was critical to the exercise, since it was a reference point in the collection of data.

“We want to celebrate this night so well that people will remember it because when enumerators come to you on 28th June to enumerate the household, they will be referring all questions to 27th night," he added.

Daily Graphic reporters monitoring the exercise include Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah & Biiya Mukusah Ali, Sunyani; Shirley Asiedu-Addo, Edith Mensah & Francisca Eshun, Cape Coast; Benjamin Xornam Glover, Tema; Vincent Amenuveve, Bolgatanga, and Dotsey Koblah Aklorbortu & Augustina Dzodzegbe, Sekondi-Takoradi.

Bono Region

In the Bono regional capital, Sunyani, the enumerators visited the Sunyani Regional and municipal hospitals, bus terminals, prayer camps, hotels, prisons, police cells, among other facilities, to enumerate the people on Census Night.

Some travellers approached the enumerators voluntarily to be enumerated, after which they received their certificates of enumeration.
The officials also visited about 11 other places identified as outdoor sleepers in the Sunyani municipality.

The Bono Regional Director of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Mr. Amatus S. Nobabumah, urged the public to cooperate with the enumerators, explaining that the exercise had a limited time and, therefore, required the support of all to succeed.

Central Region

The Central Regional Minister, Mrs. Justina Marigold Assan, who was counted at her residence in the early hours of yesterday, said the census was of great importance to the development of communities and the nation as a whole, as data gathered would aid in development planning and the equitable distribution of national resources.

The Central Regional Statistician, Mr. Isaac Addai, said there was no need for people to change their location or travel to their hometowns to be enumerated.

“The census process requires that officials visit places of residence and all structures to count and enumerate all the people who spent the Census Night in those structures, regardless of their residential status," he said.

Some residents who shared their views said they were indifferent about the exercise.

A fishmonger, Ms. Esi Praba, said: “I don’t see anything different from what they have been doing in past years. They will come and count us and nothing will happen.”

As of 10 a.m. yesterday, Mr. Francis Mensah, a business man, said he had not met any of the census officers yet.

Tema

The Metropolitan Chief Executive for Tema, Mr. Felix Mensah Nii Anang-La, who joined the Census Night awareness creation team, urged enumerators to be diligent in their work by collecting the needed data to support national development.

A Field Monitoring Officer of the GSS, Mr. Isaac Odoom, gave an assurance that outstanding issues with regard to the lack of identification cards for some enumerators would be addressed.

The assurance came on the back of complaints by some enumerators about security threats they faced due to the lack of ID cards for them.

Upper East

In the Bolgatanga municipality in the Upper East Region, enumerators visited the Regional Hospital and other health institutions, such as the Afrikids Health Centre, on Census night to count the people.

The Regional Field Supervisor for Zone 1, Mr. Philip Adosinaba, said some people refused to give out information and urged the public to volunteer information to enable the enumerators to have access to credible data.

“Some people don’t want to give information, while those who want to are demanding money before they do so," Mr. Adosinaba further claimed.                              

The Public Affairs Officer of the Upper East Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police Mr. David Fianko-Okyere, said policemen had been deployed across the region to ensure a smooth exercise.
                                                   
Sekondi-Takoradi

In the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis, the awareness creation exercise was extended to churches and community centres, while at hotels census officers left questionnaires for guests to complete.

Officials were also at hospitals and bus terminals to capture needed information.

Some of the officers said they did not experience many challenges during the exercise, except that some people said they were not interested in the exercise.