December 2, 2015 By Alusine Sesay
Statistics Sierra Leone has put in place all mechanisms to kickstart the long awaited national population and housing census which is due to commence from 5th to 18 December 2015.
According to Public Relations Officer at Statistics Sierra Leone,Sheku Tejan Kabbah, they have secured 80 vehicles to facilitate the exercise and trained 13,000 enumerators, although 12,850 would be selected to participate in the nationwide exercise following a competitive examination.
The result for the examination, he said, was to be published last night, while enumerators are expected to be deployed in their respective enumeration areas by December 4.
He said the enumerators were recruited from their districts of origin, adding that this year’s census would be the best because they have trained enumerators who would count people in hospitals, boarding homes, airport, prisons, while street children would be visited and counted at night.
He said all persons who spend the census night of 4th /5th December within the borders of Sierra Leone would be counted, even if they are foreigners.
He said they have enough money to fund the data collection phase, although he admitted that there was still a funding gap to undertake data processing but expressed optimism that government would chip in to enable them complete the process within the set timeline.