Flagbearer of the All Peoples Congress(APC), Dr Hassan Ayariga
•Hassan Ayariga has charged government to adopt modern means through which citizens are counted
•The APC founder said until Ghana changes its door-to-door approach, he won’t participate in the census
•He said the government needs to establish a national database
Founder of the All People’s Congress, Hassan Ayariga, has indicated that until the country adopts a technological-based data collection system, he would not participate in the usual door-to-door means of counting Ghanaians.
Highlighting his thoughts on the 2021 Housing and Population Census, Mr. Ayariga described the exercise as primitive, ways by which citizens are being counted.
Speaking at a media briefing in Accra, the APC founder was of the view that the world has evolved and as such he expects the government to put in place structures that match up with the modern world to make life simpler and easier.
“Let’s build a national database that will capture every detail of Ghanaians. From childbirth until you die. You don’t need to count people by going to their houses. Automatically, the system counts everybody, every day. When you’re in Ghana it counts, when you’re out of Ghana it counts.
“When you die it’s there, when you give birth, your name is keyed in. If you lose a job government will know; if you have ten jobs, government knows. Why do we waste money counting people? Are we serious? In this 21st century? They’ll come and tell you to line up so you can be counted. You won’t count me. You will never count Hassan Ayariga. I won’t line up for you to count me,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the government statistician, Samuel Kobina Anim, has established that failure to participate in the 2021 census or the supply of false information will attract a fine.