West Akim Census Enumerators Demanding for Insurance of Dog and Reptile Bites
Census Enumerators of West Akim Municipality are demanding a risk allowance package for the fear of been bitten by snakes and other reptiles in rural communities.
Joana Somiah 
The Census Enumerators of West Akim Municipality are demanding insurance on Dog and other reptiles Bite as well as Risk Allowances package, before the take-off of 2021 Population and Housing Census.
According to them, they risk being attacked by dogs and other reptiles during home and remote villages visit to collect information and compile resolute data, where they might encounter such risks and they are therefore demanding insurance and Allowances to curtail against any eventuality since such vaccines cost large sums of the amount in the country.
A petition addressed to the National Census Officer by enumerators in West Akyem Municipality, made the following demands; “transportation for the training should be Ghc440.00 as earlier announced, instead of Ghc330.00.
"We should be paid an allowance of the training or per diem of at least Ghc80 per day which will be ghc800.00 for 10 days. Allowance for Enumerators should be increased from Ghc2, 520.00 to Ghc3,000.00 and Ghc2,9 40.00 to Ghc3,500.00 for supervisors respectively. There should be a risk and insurance component added to the remuneration because a dog nearly attacked a participant”
“It is more than surprising to sit for 12 hours each day without any allowance. We would have been if we were at our respective job posts”
The petition ended that trainees at Asamankese Senior High School Center 1&2 resolved to boycott the entire exercise if their demands are not met.
According to the enumerators, they were initially promised Ghc550 for transportation at the end of the training but the amount was reduced to Ghc440 and subsequently Ghc330.
This has sparked serious concerns with many threatening to boycott the entire census for fear of being short-changed.
However, the Eastern Regional Director of Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) Bright Worlanyo Neku has urged agitating Field data collection officers to remain calm explaining that the mishap was a result of miscommunication.
William Ofori Akwaboa, Eastern Regional Correspondent
