Wa, Oct. 5, GNA - Two Enumerators of the ongoing 2010 Population and Housing Census at Lawra in the Upper West Region have been dismissed for alleged drunkenness.

Mr Kunye Lawrence Rudolf has been on a drinking spree after he had received 200 Ghana cedis as part payment of his allowance. A Census Supervisor found Mr Rudolf lying on some questionnaires totally drunk and when searched some sachets of "Striker Gin" a locally manufactured drink was found in his shoulder bag while his bicycle and mobile phone were by him.

Mr Jonathan Chemaalu could not also administer a questionnaire on a household during field work due to excessive intake of alcoholic beverages, Mr. Abdulai Salifu, Lawra District Statistician told the Ghana News Agency on telephone in Wa on Monday.

He said the two had been replaced while Mr Rudolf was asked to refund 100 Ghana cedis out of the 200 Ghana Cedis to the District Census Committee.

Mr Salifu said Naa Puowele Karbo, Paramount Chief of the Lawra Traditional Area and Naa Puoure Puobe Chiir, Paramount Chief of the Nandom Traditional Area, expressed worries about the intake of alcoholic beverages among the youth in the district.

The two chiefs gave the assurance that they would co-operate with the District Census Committee to weed out all those who were found to have indulged in activities that were likely to jeopardize the exercise. Mr Salifu said drunkenness was among some of the things that would not be tolerated or encouraged as far as the census was concerned. "We will not allow individual behaviour or action to give us wrong census data," he said and appealed to community members to report as early as possible all those enumerators and supervisors found to have involved in activities contrary to Census rules and regulations. However, Mr. Chemaalu who earlier came to the offices of the GNA to report about his dismissal complained that he was sacked because of a girl who he alleged was a friend to Mr. Salifu.