One of the two Field Officials of the 2021 Population and Housing Census, riding a motor bike died in a road crash on the Zebilla-Saaka stretch of the Bolgatanga-Bawku-Pulmakom road in the Upper East Region.

The two officers identified as Mr Faisal Issah, a nurse by profession and Ms Gifty Abane, a teacher by profession, were on their way to Googo and Tambiugu communities, suburbs of Zebilla to gather census data.

Mr Issah who had picked Ms Abane on the motorbike ran into a faulty stationary vehicle which was parked off the main road for repair works.

According to Mr Felix Geli, the Regional Statistician of the Ghana Statistical Service during an interview with the Ghana News Agency the accident occurred on Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at about 0630 hours.

He said Mr Issah died instantly after the crash, while Ms Abane sustained injuries and was receiving treatment at the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital.

Mr Geli said preliminary investigations revealed that the faulty vehicle had a tyre burst and was parked off the road while it was being worked on and the enumerators ran into it.
He said Ms Abane was stable and would be discharged soon.

The Regional Statistician noted that with the exception of the unfortunate accident, the exercise was running smoothly and the officers were on the field collecting data.

“We have covered institutions with boarding houses, hotels and guest houses, those on transit and the prisons among others,” he said.

Mr Geli noted that the census was key to national planning and implementation of development projects and therefore it was imperative for all citizens to support and cooperate effectively with the census officers.

He urged the public to provide accurate data to aid in the proper planning and execution of development projects, to address challenges confronting the country.