The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Jomoro Municipality of the Western Region, Mr. Ernest Kofie has charged the Municipal Census Implementation Committee to be committed in the discharge of their mandate.

He also reminded the eight-member committee that the success of the Census in the area depends on the extent to which they diligently executed their task in collaboration with the four-member municipal technical team.

The MCE who inaugurated the committee at Half Assini over the weekend said bad census data was an affront to the good people of the municipality and urged them to furnish the Assembly with correct census data.

"Bad census data is an affront to the people of this district and a disservice to our people since resources would be misallocated", he bemoaned.

He emphasized, "Therefore the success of the census will be attributed to your commitment to duty, and the seriousness attached to this very important assignment".

Mr. Kofie appealed to the indigenes to support the committee and own the exercise.

"More importantly, I want to remind all seated here that, we need to own this census. Our Assembly has been using previous census data for communities in allocation of our resources", he said.

He, therefore, took the opportunity to ask the good people of Jomoro to avail themselves for the Census.

"I urge all people in the District to avail themselves for the census, especially during field enumeration. I would like to assure all stakeholders that the Assembly, the Chiefs, People and Opinion Leaders have resolved to work to ensure a successful census".

He concluded by encouraging the committee, "Mr. Chairman. My fellow compatriot DCICs waiting to be inaugurated, I know you would not disappoint the people of this district. Conduct this census as if it is the last of Censuses to be conducted, and God who is all-knowing would reward you".

On his part, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Benjamin Egan-Mensah, he said it was incumbent upon them as Committee to see what happens and therefore described the Committee as a very strategic one.

"Ours is to know that it is incumbent upon on us to see what happens, that is why the selection of the membership of this Committee was very strategic, where people go alot that is hospitals, schools, statistical services, that's why this Committee is a strategic for the implementation of this census".

He charged other members of the Committee to commit themselves to the exercise and see it as a national exercise.

"What I want to say, I don't want take words from my bosses but what I want to say is that we must committed to this assignment, it is a national assignment, it is a temporary assignment, it comes once in ten years", he stated.

He also called on them to be faithful to the assignment and make sure the census is succeeded.

Mr. Ernest Nyarku, the Western Regional Statistician told the Committee to solicit the support of all stakeholders within the Municipality to ensure a successful implementation of the Census.

He, therefore, tasked the Committee to setup a publicity, advocacy and education sub-committee to sensitize, and mobilize all persons to co-operate fully in the census operations in the area.

He assured the people that data collected would be treated confidentially.

On the importance of the PHC data, he reaffirmed that the data on population and socio-economic characteristics, such as age, sex, educational attainment, employment among others would assist the Jomoro Municipal Assembly in the allocation of resources and distribution of social services such as health and educational facilities if only credible and quality data was collected by field officers.

The Jomoro Municipal Census Implementation Committee has Mr. Benjamin Egan-Mensah, Municipal Coordinating Director as chairman with Armoo Plaunder, Municipal Census Officer as secretary, Emmanuel Nvojo from the Municipal Information Office and Mr. George Effah, Municipal Education Director as members.

The rest are; Mr. Joseph K. Sampson, Municipal Health Director, Nana Amgbo Kofi II, Traditional Council Representative, Mr. Ebenezer Ewusie-Mensah, Municipal Director of National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and Mr. Derick Mintah, Municipal Statistical Officer.

The primary goal of the Census is to count each person and structure in the geographical space of Ghana.

The essence of forming the Committees across the country is to solicit the support of the District Assemblies and other relevant stakeholders of the local level for the successful implementation of the census.

The Census Night is slated for June 28, 2020.

The slogan for this year’s Population and Housing Census is "You count, get counted".