The Field Officers who have been contracted by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) to collect data during this year’s Population and Housing Census is demanding an increase in their allowances from an expected GHC2,520, and GHC2,950 to GHC3,500 and GHC4,000 respectively.
The enumerators and supervisors who have come under one umbrella called National Coalition of Field Officers, are also demanding Health and Risk allowances.
The Leader of the group Abdul Rahman Mustapha who spoke on Accra based Citi FM narrated how some of his colleagues have to endure long distance of walk under the scorching sun and in some cases rain without protection.
The Coalition has given the GSS close of June 27, 2021 to address their concern.
“We want the GSS to make provisions for allowances like the risk allowance and the health allowance because the work we are into now is very tedious. Officers go to the field to collect data in harsh weather conditions. When the sun shines, we are under the sunshine collecting data; and the rain falls, we are inside it collecting data. There are also some of the enumerators that when we go on the field, we run into wild animals like the snake and others.”
Abdul Rahman Mustapha said their demands are important due to the kind of dangers they face on the field. He recounted that “There is also a district in the Oti Region where we had information that some field officers were going there, they met a bush pig that chased them, and had it not being that there were some locals there, imagine what would happen to these enumerators? These are dangers that the field officers are putting up with.”
Not long ago, residents of Bonkron Electoral Area in the Ahafo Ano North District of the Ashanti Region were reported to have chased enumerators conducting the 2021 Population and Housing Census with sticks, cutlasses and other offensive weapons.
The enumerators escaped narrowly from the angry residents after they took cover at the Tepa Municipal Assembly.
The residents have threatened to unleash mayhem on the enumerators should they step foot in communities such as; Abu-Agya, Gambia, Ogyam, Ankaase-Mahuntem, Kwaprete, Gyabedibi, all in Ahafo Ano North Municipality.
Assembly member for the area Batuley Godfred who confirmed the incident to Mynewsafric.com said he had to calm the angry residents who were threatening to harm the enumerators, adding that he will do all he can to convince the residents to “reconsider their decision, because the country needs this exercise”
