Bolgatanga, Sept 5, GNA - Communities who would not engage actively in the

forthcoming Population and Housing Census would suffer major setback when it comes

to development, Mr Alosibah Azam, Upper East Regional Population Officer, has said. The Regional Population Officer, who made this observation at an advocacy seminar

of the 2010 Population and Housing Census at Bolgatanga, explained that the

government through District Assemblies across the country relied solely on population

data for policy planning and implementation of programmes. The seminar, organised by the National Population Council, with the Ghana

Statistical Service, formed part of the Public Education drive on Population. Community leaders, religious groups, youth and civil society leaders and the media,

among other stakeholders attended the workshop. He said projects on Health, Education, Agriculture and Housing, among others, were

planned through data collected from Population and Housing Censuses and any

community which would downplay the impending census would do so at its peril. It is scheduled for September 26. He pointed out that donors and Non-Governmental Organizations mostly use

population and Housing Census in planning technical and economic assistance for

developing countries and any country that toyed with such census risk not getting aid

from donors. He explained that Censuses also help businessmen and women and the private sector

to plan their activities, which help in the economic development of the country.

Mr Alosibah pointed out that since the last census in 2000, there had been many

changes in the structure of the country's population and indicated that the 2010

Population Census information would assist in updating the socio demographic and

economic data in the country and address changes in the population structure since

2000. He stressed that everybody in Ghana should be counted and appealed to community

and religious leaders, Civil Society Organizations and the media to play their roles

diligently for a successful census. The Regional Statistician, Mr Festus Kofi Manu, who spoke on the overview of the

2010 Population Census, said adequate preparation had so far been made and the

Census Night was earmarked for September 26, which would serve as the reference

point. He explained that events, including vigil night, brass band music, concerts among

others, would be held to remind people about the event, adding that census officers

had been recruited and the enumerators were also receiving training. He said people such as the mentally challenged who roamed the streets and

foreigners would also be counted.