The Inquirer (Monrovia)
10 March 2008
Beginning March 21, this year a nation wide census intended to know the total number of persons living in the country so as to help the government and its partners plan activities relative to the development program of the country, will commence through out the country.
The exercise will be the first ever in the country since it was last conducted over two decade ago under the Samuel Kanyon Doe's government.
Already, massive campaign activities intended to educate the public on the significant of the exercise has begun, with the Liberia Crusader for Peace in partnership with the media leading the campaign to enlighten the public on the significant of the exercise.
To ensure the success of the exercise, the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo- Information Services (LISGIS), which is the organization has mapped the entire country dividing the nation into smaller blocks and has since embarked on the training of numerators that would be dispatched to all parts of the country to count residents.
Dr. T. Edward Liberty, urged Liberians throughout the country to remain in their respective homes so as to enable the enumerators who will be deployed throughout the country to count them.
Giving updates on the conduct of the census, Dr. Liberty disclosed that LISGIS has mapped the entire country and divided it into smaller blocks called numeration areas. He said his agency has put all towns and villages including existing social facilities on the map.
He added that LISGIS has completed the designing of instruments for the exercise and are now ready to be sent throughout Liberia, while LISGIS along with its partners are recruiting and conducting training for enumerators. He said enumerators and field supervisors will be taken from the various counties to help in the exercise.
Planning & Economics Affairs Minister, Dr. Toga G. McIntosh, stressed the importance of the National Census adding that it is about developing a national development agenda. He said in order for government to undertake development and draw up its development plan the population of the country must be known.
Dr. McIntosh then used the occasion to laud the Liberia Crusaders For Peace for the level of awareness and publicity something that has help the process and that everyone in the country is aware of the 2008 census.
Cultural Ambassador, Juli Endee, urged Liberians to take the census message to their towns and villages so that people will stay home on March 21to be part of the process. Amb. Endee said the census is not for political manipulation or for tax purposes as perceived by some people.
The Cultural Night celebration brought together several personalities including officials of the United States Embassy, the Ghanaian Ambassador, veteran Liberian politician, Dr. Togba-Nah-Tipoteh, among others.
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