Kumasi, Sept. 27, GNA - The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, was among the foremost personalities who were enumerated in the Kumasi Metropolis on Monday morning as the 2010 Population and Housing Census took-off in the Ashanti Region.

Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem, Asantehemaa, Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu, Regional Minister, heads of security agencies as well decentralised agencies and department were also enumerated.

At exactly 1000 hours, the census officials led by Mr Emmanuel George Osei, Regional Statistician arrived at the Manhyia Palace to commence the exercise, which covered other traditional rulers. Otumfuo Osei Tutu said the census is crucial to the nation's development agenda and appealed to Ghanaians to take it seriously to ensure its success.

He expressed the need for the public to collaborate with the enumerators by giving them accurate data, which is vital to the country's development planning.

The Asantehene expressed optimism that the two-week exercise would end productively. Mr Opoku-Manu also underscored the need for the public to collaborate with census officials and enumerators as they go about their duties. Mr Osei, Regional Statistician told the Ghana News Agency that about 7,500 enumerators have been engaged for the exercise which ends on October 10.