Edina Bando(C/R), Aug. 31, GNA - The national population census exercise is not intended for taxation, Dr. Joseph Annan, Deputy Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abream (KEEA), has said.

People should therefore feel free to offer themselves to be counted and cooperate with census officials to ensure the success of the upcoming exercise scheduled for October 26.

He was addressing the chiefs and people of Bando at a durbar to climax their weeklong Nyeyi Festival at Bando in the KEEA District.

Dr Annan said data collected would be used by the government for its development agenda at the end of the exercise.

On education, he noted that education was the key to development and appealed to parents to give priority attention to it while adults who did not have formal education could enroll with the Non-Formal Education Division to learn to read and write and acquire employable skills.

Nana Bukwei Takyi IV, Chief of Bando, appealed to financial institutions and philanthropists to provide funds to aid the completion of two health centres being constructed for the area.

Nana Bando, also appealed to the people to refrain from engaging in unnecessary chieftaincy disputes, live in peace with one another and contribute their quota towards national development.