President John Evans Atta Mills Monday called for the full participation of the public in the National Census Exercise since that would aid national development. He said since the government's development agenda transcended one's religious, political and ethnic considerations, there was the need For all to embrace the exercise. He said the high levels of enthusiasm and affection displayed by the public during presidential and parliamentary elections in the country should be extended to the ongoing national census exercise. President Mills, who made these remarks at the Castle, Osu, yesterday when he and members of his household were counted, pointed out that it behoved the public to pay considerable attention to the exercise by availing themselves to be counted by personnel trained for the exercise, who are working across the length and breadth of the country. He had to briefly suspend his planned tour of Japan after completing his Chinese visit, to demonstrate to the people his commitment and dedication to the national census exercise, which constitutes an important landmark in the country's political, economic and social development. President Mills said he had carefully considered the option of postponing his trip to Japan to participate in this national exercise, saying, "I am convinced it is in the national interest to do so". Stressing the importance of the exercise further, he said: "This is a very important national process. Even from Biblical times people travelled long distances to be counted." According to him, while national polls helped to choose national leaders to manage the affairs of the country, the national census exercise was intended to provide the relevant demographic data upon which proper national planning could be based and implemented by the leaders. President Mills called on Ghanaians to exercise patience in the national census exercise as they did in the national elections when they had to wait for several hours in queues to exercise their franchise. He explained that the national census exercise, which would last for a fortnight, would reliably inform the government about the growth rate of the population, its density and distribution across the various regions in the country. President Mills said the provision of the data would offer the government deeper insight that would guide it in the formulation of policies and programmes geared towards national development and growth. He further explained that the provision of basic necessities of life such as schools, potable water, medical facilities, roads and markets was based on the population distribution and density of a particular area. "I therefore implore the people in the country to attach utmost attention to the national census exercise, which will be of great benefit to the present and future generations," President Mills said. President Mills lauded the enumerators, describing them as "very experienced personalities who are capable of making the exercise a success." The Government Statistician, Dr Grace Bediako, commended President Mills for briefly suspending his trip to Japan in order to underscore his attachment to the national census exercise. "The President's decision to come back shows the extreme importance he attaches to the exercise. It sends a clear message to all of us to make the exercise a priority," she stressed. She stressed the importance of the exercise, which, she said, would go a long way to help the government in its bid to reconstruct the economy and ensure the social renewal of the Ghanaian society. Dr Bediako called for massive patronage of the exercise by the public, adding that it was one of the most important ways through which the government was informed about the real needs of the people. Source: Daily Graphic