Ho, (V/R) Oct 02, GNA - A trial census to precede the 2010 Population and Housing Census (PHC) is expected to take off on November 8, Dr Grace Bediako, Government Statistician, said in Ho in the Volta Region on Friday.

Speaking at a training programme for members of the Media and Communication Advocacy Network (MCAN), Dr Bedaiko said the trial census would be organized in six selected districts within the three ecological zones of the country.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) organized the three-day training programme for the 25 journalists to educate them on the 2010 PHC and the role of the media towards a successful census next year. Dr Bediako mentioned Saboba, Chereponi, Sene and Bia as well as AwutuSenya and Osu Klottey in the Northern, Brong Ahafo, Western, Central and Greater Accra Regions respectively as the selected districts.

She explained that these trial districts were selected based on the fact that some of them were new districts, while others were more accessible and fast growing with the rest being scattered localities and floating population.

Also to be included in the trial census is the University of Ghana which falls under institutional population. Dr Bediako however said the exact date for the main census was yet to be fixed in consultation with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and other stakeholders, taking into consideration factors like the weather.

Mr Francis Kojo Yankey, Principal Statistician, Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) said the training of enumerators for the trial census would start on Sunday, October 4 and completed within two weeks. He urged the public in the selected districts to cooperate with the enumerators, "in this all important national assignment which will better inform the GSS on the main census".

Mr John Kwabena Agyaho, member of the Census Implementation Team, GSS, stressed the need for the public to provide accurate information to ensure accurate data "for the good of mother Ghana". He said 45,000 fieldworkers were being recruited to be engaged in the two-week census which would also involve marking of houses a week to the census night.

Provisional results of the main census are expected to be out within three months after enumeration. Caption for pictures:

037: Mr Kojo Yankey Principal Statistician, Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) in a presentation on census training of enumerators.

043: Mr John Kwabena Agyaho, Member, Census Implementation Team in a presentation on Census training of enumerators. 02 Oct. 09