We Will Mobilize Our Members To Help GSS Conduct A Credible Census – Most Rev. Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo

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On behalf of the Christian community, the presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, Most Rev. Dr Paul K. Boafo has assured the Ghana Statistical Service and Ghana at large that the christian community will avail themselves to conduct a credible census for the nation.

He assured the nation that they would mobilise the members of the church especially the youth and also make their chapels available for the conduct of a credible census for the nation.

Below is the full statement delivered on behalf of the Christian community by the methodist Bishop at the launch of 100 days to population and housing census;

Solidarity message from the Christian Community
Launch of the 100 Days to the 2021 Population and Housing Census
Most Rev Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo

Your excellency, the Vice President of Ghana, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, all other protocol acknowledged.

On behalf of the Christian Community in Ghana I wish to express our appreciation to the Management of the Ghana Statistical Service for the invitation to be part of the Launch of the 100 days to the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC).

Censuses are reported in the Bible in both the Old and the New Testaments. They were conducted for planning, recruitment into the military and development of the nation of Israel. The book of Numbers in the Bible derives its name from the two recorded censuses made of the Israelite people, one at the beginning of their 40-year wilderness experience and one at the end.

In Numbers 1:1–3, not long after Israel’s exodus from Egypt, God told Moses to count the people by tribe to determine the number of Jewish men 20 years and older who could serve in the military. The total number came to 603,550. Later, in Numbers 26:1–4, as Israel prepared to enter the Promised Land, a second census was taken, again, to evaluate its military force, but also to prepare for future organization and property allocation in Canaan. This time the total numbered 601,730.

In addition to the two military censuses in Numbers, a special numbering of the Levites was also performed. This was the census of the priests who served in the tabernacle. In Numbers 3:15 they were instructed to list every male who was 1 month old or older. The tally came to 22,000. In Numbers 4:46–48 Moses and Aaron listed all of the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who were eligible for service in the Tabernacle and transporting it, with the number counted being 8,580.

In the New Testament the well-known, of course, took place at the time of Jesus’ birth, reported in Luke 2:1–5. “At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.” (NLT)

Conclusion
From these and other biblical standpoints, we understand and know the value of census in national development. The Church in Ghana as a major stakeholder and a partner in the development of the nation, pledges its unflinching support to the 2021 census.

The leadership of the Church at all levels from the rural to the urban areas would create the platform for the flow of information on the census to all its members and beyond.

We would mobilize our members, especially the youth to help personnel of GSS to conduct a credible census that can adequately inform national development.

Our chapels and the pulpits would be opened and made available to the personnel of the Service and enumerators to educate the members.

Our prayers would always be with you. Thank you.

By: Nana Gyasi | Radio 1 |Ghana