A Seven-Member District Census Implementation Committee (DCIC) with the core mandate to oversee the successful conduct of Ghana 2020 Population and Housing Census (PHC) has been inaugurated in the Obuasi East District in the Ashanti Region.
The United Nations recommends that every country should endeavour to undertake a population census every ten years and as it stands Ghana has it last Population and Housing Census in 2010 implying that, this year is a mandatory year for Ghana to conduct another census, hence the inauguration of this committee.
In her inaugural speech to inaugurate the committee, the District Chief Executive for Obuasi East Hon. Faustina Amissah, posited that a Population and Housing Census is indispensable governance tool, required to ensure good governance and democracy works for all.
The DCE touched on the importance of the Census as an interactive dialogue between users and producers of official statistics.
And also as the context of the National Development Planning, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), and Agenda 2063 for sustainable development and with the need for data producers to work with all partners from the data ecosystem.
Hon. Faustina Amissah tasked members of the District census Implementation Committee (DCIC) to provide the complement of skills and competencies needed for the successful conduct of the census in Obuasi East District and attain good quality results, stating that the success of this year’s Census depends on the extent to which the committee diligently execute the task given them.
The District Chief Executive assured all stakeholders that, the Assembly, chiefs, people and opinion leaders have resolved to work to ensure a successful Census.
The Chairman of the Committee who doubles as the District Coordinating Director for Obuasi East, Mr. Emmanuel Ntoso on behalf of the Committee Members promised to work assiduously to attain a good quality data for the District.
We are poised to make a very positive contribution towards the successful implementation of the 2020 Population and Housing Census Exercise, he added.
The Director of Administration, Ghana Statistical Service, in his presentation disclosed that the Ghana Statistical Service has empowered under the Statistical Law 2019 (ACT 1003) to carry out the Census. He also mentioned that the introduction of technology in this year’s exercise which has been termed E-Census will help have results readily available on time.
The Membership of the District Census Implementation Committee comprises of the District Coordinating Director, Mr. Emmanuel Ntoso as the Chairman, Bernard Kusi the District Census Officer, as the secretary.
The rest of the members are the, District Information Officer, District Planning Officer, District Director of Education, District Director of Health and the District Director of National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE).
The exercise is expected to begin on 28th June, 2020 which marks the Census Night with the slogan “2020 Population and Housing Census! You Count, Get Counted″.
Felicia Manu