2021 PHC: Yaamansa community caught in boundary dispute

A farming community in the Jaman South Municipality of the Bono Region, Yaamansa has been caught in a boundary dispute.

The situation if not rectified has the possibility of derailing the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) in the community.

The community though part of the Tekese Electoral Area in the Jaman South Municipality has instead been captured as one of the communities in the Jaman North District by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).

Members in the community are wondering why the Ghana Statistical Service always captures them under the Jaman North District whilst other government institutions correctly capture them under the Jaman South Municipality.

According to the Assembly Member of the Tekese Electoral Area, Clement Adjei, this is not the first time the community has been captured in a wrong and different district.

Clement Adjei told Ghanaweb in an interview that the Ghana Statistical Service wrongly captured the community under the Jaman North District during the 2010 Population and Housing Census (PHC).

He disclosed that despite concerns from the community and the subsequent assurance from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) the mistake was not rectified.

“It looks strange, but this is not the first time they are making such a mistake. They did the same thing during the 2010 PHC and despite our concerns and the assurance from them, it was not rectified,” he said.

He averred that that administrative error by the GSS eleven years ago has denied the community of developmental projects and has charged them to rectify the anomaly immediately.

Way forward

The community has through the Assemblymember for the area officially written to the Ghana Statistical Service seeking answers for the anomaly. They are among other things seeking to find out which district their figure in the 2010 PHC was added to and also which District their 2021 PHC figure will be added to, and the futuristic position of Yaamansa in the 2021 PHC.

Warning

They have served a strong warning that even though they have allowed field officers from the Jaman North District to undertake the chalking and listing of structures, they will prevent them from carrying out the actual enumeration on June 28, 2021.

Response from the Ghana Statistical Service

The Bono Regional Statistician, Amatus Nobabumah has confirmed receipt of a petition from the community expressing their grievances and seeking some clarifications from the Ghana Statistical Service.

Mr. Nobabumah revealed that they have already taken steps to resolve the matter by engaging the community on the need to avail themselves for the exercise and not to boycott the exercise as they have threatened whilst their concerns are being addressed.