Cape Coast, Sept 19, GNA - Dr Grace Bediako, the Government Statistician, has urged Ghanaians to provide truthful and reliable data to make the 2010 Population and Housing Census successful because they hold the key to its credibility.

"If we do not get accurate data, the investment of 50 million US dollars needed for the entire exercise would be wasted," she stressed. Dr. Bediako made the appeal at a workshop, organised by the Ghana Statistical Service, for the District Census Implementation Committee (DCIC) and media representatives from the Western, Central and the Volta regions.

It aimed at sensitizing the media on the 2010 Census for them to contribute meaningfully to its success. "Government is committed to contributing about 50 per cent of the fund and we are looking forward to our development partners to bridge the gap," she said.

Dr. Bediako said five regions have been selected to pilot the programme. They are Sene in the Brong Ahafo, Saboba-Chereponi in the Northern Region, Awutu Senya in the Central Region, Bia in the Western Region and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly in the Greater Accra Region. She explained that the census is to provide the country with up to date information on the demographic and socio-economic characteristics at the national, regional and district levels. According to her, the census would focus on every individual and even count infants, children, and the mentally challenged. The pilot project would also cover them. She added that personnel to be selected for the exercise would include teachers, students and service personnel. She encouraged the media to explain information on the census to the public to enable them to cooperate with the field personnel. Mrs. Araba Forson, the Assistant Chief Statistician, said several censuses have been conducted. These covered 1891, 1901, 1911, 1921, 1931 and 1948. After independence, there were censuses in 1960, 1984, 2000, 2010.

She pointed out that the census would provide data that could be used to track the progress of the poverty reduction programmes the Millennium Development Goals.

Also, she said it is to give the total number and key characteristics of persons and housing types in every Ghanaian town or village, assist the country to revise its electoral areas and constituencies as well as provide an up to date sampling frame for the country.

She said the systematic method of enumeration would be used to avoid the omission or double counting of houses or persons. Dr. Bediako urged the public not to be angry when personnel ask them questions related to their education, housing, migration, disability, agriculture and information communication technology usage. She explained that these questions are important to the development of the individual and the country as a whole. "I encourage you to give us accurate and reliable information as the information you give is confidential," she advised.