THE FIRST and second family of the Republic yesterday were counted in the ongoing Population and Housing Census at their respective homes.
President Akufo-Addo, together with his wife, Rebecca, first received Government Statistician, Professor Samuel Annim into the Presidential Villa at the Jubilee House to be counted.
After the process, the President encouraged Ghanaians to avail themselves to be counted in the ongoing exercise.
He charged officials of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) to handle information given to them with confidentiality to enhance effective planning for national development.
The Vice President, Dr. Bawumia, after being counted, also urged the citizenry to provide accurate information to the enumerators to enable them compile accurate data to empirically inform policy formulation, as well as planning for the country’s development.
“The benefits to be derived from the census data is enormous and the outcomes of the census exercise will guide our development plans, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting particularly, with African Union’s Agenda 2063, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), that is, Agenda 2030 and national development agenda,” he said when census officials called on him at his official residence at Cantonments.
That, he explained, was because the census was “both a legal obligation and a civic responsibility.”
The Vice President also advised persons who have either refused to provide responses, or requested payment from census enumerators to stop demanding money or other favours before providing the information required of them.
“The census is an inclusive, non-discriminatory, non-partisan, national activity and I urge all persons in Ghana, including non-nationals to fully participate in this important activity by presenting themselves and their families to be counted appropriately.
“The census aims at achieving complete coverage and quality data. The objective of complete coverage aligns perfectly with the ‘Leave No One Behind’ agenda of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To this end, the cooperation of all the populace is paramount.
“I have just been counted. You should also get counted for our national good. You must get counted,” was his clarion call.
The exercise started on the night of Sunday, June 27, with persons on transit, outdoor sleepers and guest houses across the country.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent