By Evans Nuo, GNA
Wa (UW), Dec. 14, GNA –The Ghana Statistical
Service (GSS) in collaboration with the Upper West Regional Coordinating
Council has inaugurated an eight-member committee to oversee the implementation
of the 2020 Population and Housing census in the region.
Mr Francis Nyarko Larbi, Head of Census
Publicity and Education Advocacy, said members of the committee would join the
GSS in the execution of the national project not only to measure the size of
the population, but also to obtain basic information on the distribution of the
population as well as its characteristics.
The committee has Mr Gilbert Nuuri-Teg, the
Regional Coordinating Director as chairman, Mr Abu Salifu, Regional Population
Officer, Mr Nurideen Mumuni, NCCE, Ms Justine A. Kpan, GES, Gul-Naa Nubalanaang
S. B, Regional House of Chiefs.
The rest are, Mr Jeremiah Sixtus Dery,
Regional Statistician/GSS, Mr Sinto Nuhu Mustapha, Information Services
Department and Dr Osei Kuffour Afreh, Regional Health Director.
Mr Larbi said the exercise was aimed at
getting every settlement, home or institution, group and individuals available
during the census to record all inhabitants and their characteristics.
He said during the collection of household
and institutional population information, all individuals irrespective of
nationality of residence status, who were within the country’s borders at a
single reference point, should have their characteristics recorded.
He said over 60,000 field workers would be
recruited and trained, and that the intensity of the work fell within a brief
period of about five weeks encompassing the training, listing of structures,
and enumeration.
“Significant progress was made towards the
2020 census compared to previous censuses; the 2020 census is unique in its
adoption of two cardinal interventions such as digitisation of the demarcation
exercise and the use of Computer Assisted Personal Interviews in effect
conducting a paperless census” he explained.
Mr Isshakau Amidu Chinnia, the Deputy Upper
West Regional Minister, who inaugurated the committee said government was
determined to have the 6th post-independence population census conducted in
March 2020.
Mr Chinnia said the main goal for setting up
the regional and district census committee was to decentralise the management
or the 2020 census programme for the best outcomes.
He stated that data provided by the census
could also be used to monitor and evaluate important national developmental
programmes such as the National Identification System, Planting for Food and
Jobs, One District One Factory and One Village One Dam.
GNA
