Ghanaians To Know Official 2010 Census Figures By April - Statistical Service

The Ghana Statistical Service has fixed the end of April as the deadline to release the official census figures for 2010. Some institutions had called for the early release of the census figures before next week�s biometric voter registration exercise. But in an interview with XYZ News on Tuesday, the Director of Publicity and Education at the Ghana Statistical Service, David Kombat said, the process is still ongoing. �We have been working tirelessly to have the results released but it�s not been possible. It is not that we have finished [and] not releasing but we have not finished.� Mr Kombat urged the public to visit their offices for clarification on the process as well as insight into how the service performs its duties. According to him, �no group is pushing us to not release it. It�s just that we have not finished,� adding �we are worried that we haven�t finished and that it would have been good before they start the registration exercise.� He called for calm as well as public support as the service rounds up its operations. The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Convention People�s Party (NPP) have expressed dismay at the late release of the census figures. They believe it is important for the exact population figures to be made known prior to the commencement of the biometric registration. Policy think-tank, Danquah Institute (DI), also waged into the matter positing that the Statistical Service has failed to offer Ghanaians an opportunity to make an informed analysis of the potential number of people who might register.