Prof Samuel Annim
Government Statistician, Prof. Samuel Kobina Annim, has indicated that coming Sunday, June 27, 2021, is Census Night, asserting this is the reference period for all questions asked during the census.
“Events such as durbars, tolling of church bells, road floats, media broadcasts and cultural shows will be organised in all communities to make the night memorable,” he told Parliament on Tuesday.
According to Prof. Annim, June 27 will also be used for enumeration of certain categories of persons – people in unstable short-term institutions (hospitals, remand, prayer camps etc.), outdoor sleepers, persons in transit, and persons in hotels and guesthouses.
He stated that those persons would be given a Certificate of Enumeration to avoid them being counted more than once.
“Enumerators will commence visits to households and long-stay institutions (boarding houses, training academies, university halls etc.) to collect detailed information on the individuals that spent the Census Night there. Enumeration of persons will be concluded on July 11, 2021,” he disclosed.
“From 8th July, persons who have not been enumerated should contact the toll free line. Adult members of a household can answer questions on behalf of other household members so persons in doubt should kindly check with the other household members whether an Enumerator visited in their absence,” the Government Statistician stated.
Prof. Annim said during the enumeration, the public would be required to cooperate with census officials by providing accurate information and by using the call-back cards to schedule appointments with Enumerators who visit in their absence.
He appealed to Members of Parliament (MPs) to support the public education campaign by sensitising their constituents on the census process.
“Information sheets for Members of Parliament have been prepared with the key messaging on the census that should be disseminated to the public,” he said.
“Members of Parliament are also humbly requested to avail themselves to be enumerated and allow the media to capture part of the interview so that the media reporting can be used for advocacy to encourage all constituents to endeavour to be counted,” he stressed.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House