TWO weeks after the commencement of the on-going census exercise, a number of residents in the Kumasi Metropolis and its environs say they are yet to be enumerated.
From the Eastern-by-pass in Kumasi, around Asuoyeboa, Kwadaso, through Nzema to Santasi , Danyame and TUC area down to suburbs like Ahenasan, Atonsu and Kyerapatre Estate, residents waited patiently for enumerators to capture them, but were highly disappointed as the clock ticked past October 10, 2010, the day on which the census was orginally planned to end.
Other residents at suburbs such as Asokwa, Amakom, Akwatialine, through Dechemso, Krofrom, to Buokrom Estate, Duase, Tafo and Pankrono, as well as Ahwiaa, were also yet to be captured a day after the exercise officially ended last Sunday.
Inadequate materials for enumerators, especially questionnaires were cited as part of the problems that undermined the success of the exercise.
An enumerator who spoke to Daily Graphic about her challenges since the exercise started, said inadequate education about the importance of the census created a wrong perception among residents that the Census was intended to score political points, so many of the residents turned her off especially, during the first week of the exercise.
She emphatically said, she had to spend a lot of time, using all her persuasive skills before some of the respondents finally rescinded their decision to be enumerated.
She said apart from that, her enumeration area was also too large, explaining that “ they demarcated the enumeration area based on the 2000 census, but the area has now developed significantly not only in terms of population, but structures as well, so it has made my work very difficult”.
According to the enumerator, the materials , especially questionnaire which formed the basis of the exercise were very few when she started the exercise , making it impossible for her to capture the number of people to make the exercise successful.
She however gave the assurance that with the provision of additional questionnaires, she hoped to capture all residents and structures within her enumeration area .
Another enumerator who spoke to Daily Graphic said because of inadequate questionnaires, he was compelled to use exercise books to take information from respondents.
“I devised this method to capture respondents because my respondents were eager to be captured at a time my questionnaires had finished. As I am speaking to you, I have not been given additional questionnaires, in spite of the extension of the exercise” he explained
He pointed out that many of his colleagues adopted this method in spite of the risk involved, explaining that “while some of my colleagues would be more able to transfer all the information captured from the exercise books onto the questionnaire, others may not be able to do so and that may undermine the success of the exercise”.
Mr Peter Opoku, a resident of Kyerapatre Estate who spoke to Daily Graphic said because of the importance of the exercise, he had instructed his wife to stay at home for his family to be captured, “ but as I am speaking to you now, not a single soul has come to my area to capture my family nor any of my neighbours”.
Other residents that the Daily Graphic interviewed from the other suburbs also expressed the hope that authorities of the Statistical Service would be up to the task by not only supplying the needed materials, but would also motivate the enumerators for them to capture all residents in the metropolis and the country in general.
When the Government Statistician, Dr Grace Bediako, met members of the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi early September this year, she described the census as one of the key and credible sources of data collection that would be used for the planning and implementation of programmes for the state.
She therefore pleaded with Members of the House to use festivals, durbars, funerals and other social gatherings to encourage their respective subjects to participate fully in the exercise, explaining that it would enable the nation to collate the needed information that would make the exercise more authentic and credible to facilitate accelerated national development.
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