Development in Unity Volume One: Compendium of Works of Daasebre Prof. (Emeritus) Oti Boateng

By Daasebre Prof. Oti Boateng

Development in Unity: A Compendium of Works of Daasebre Prof. (Emeritus) Oti Boateng, Volume1 is a compilation of research works, published articles, speeches, seminar presentations, addresses, and radio broadcasts written by the author over the past 40 years.

In these articles, the author, a distinguished statistician, a university don, a UN commissioner, a Vice-Chancellor of the World Academy of Letters, and a traditional ruler, combines his rich scholarly background and his deep understanding of complex traditional, national and international issues in addressing some challenges that face humankind.

The book is divided into nine sub-themes, namely, 1) Education, 2) Governance, 3) Statistics, 4) Population and Health, 5) Natural Disasters, 6) Oil and Gas, 7) Chieftaincy and Culture, 8) Religion, and 9) Economy.

The theme of this book, Development in Unity, is derived from the mission of the Akwantukese Festival, which is, Development in Unity for the Welfare of the People.

The Akwantukese Festival, was instituted in 1997 by the Omanhene, Chiefs, and People of New Juaben to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Daasebre Professor (Emeritus) Oti Boatengs enstoolment as Omanhene of New Juaben in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The Festival commemorates the migration of the Juabens and their allies from Asante to the Eastern Region of Ghana in the 1870s. The basic goal of Akwantukese is to promote the socio-economic progress of the people through education, traditions, and customs. It further serves as a tourist attraction for people all over the world. Akwantukese also reinforces the ancestral unity between the citizens of Asante and Jew Juaben for peaceful co-existence.

The articles in this first volume have been carefully selected to emphasize these ideals thereby creating a gift for posterity.

As you enjoy these collections look out for the next volume in the series which is scheduled to come out very soon.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris UK
• Release date: Feb 6, 2015
• ISBN: 9781493109999

Daasebre Prof. Oti Boateng

The author is an eminent African leader, a distinguished authority in statistics, and a United Nations commissioner with several national and international awards, including recognition by the American Biographic Institute as one of the five hundred best thinkers of the twenty-first century. The book is a crucible of lessons for all readers.

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CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

EDUCATION

Teaching Survey Sampling In Ghana

Commonwealth Hall University Of Ghana Golden Jubilee Anniversary Lecture

The Investiture Of Daasebre Professor (Emeritus) Oti Boateng As Vice-Chancellor Of The World Academy Of Letters At The 2010 World Forum In Cambridge, England

Jerusalem Conference On Information

The Need For Computing And Computers

Launching Of 20Th Anniversary Celebration Of Koforidua Senior High School - Ada

The Renaming Of Koforidua Senior High School As Oti Boateng Senior High School (Oboss)

Tribute To Master Daniel Yaw Poku (1915-2011)

Official Book Launch Barack Obama—Africa’s Gift To The World

Moving From Success To Significance

GOVERNANCE

Forging Effective Partnership Between Africa And America

The Visit Of The President Of The Republic Of Ghana Professor John Evans Atta Mills To The Eastern Region Of Ghana

The Current Electoral Debate On The Creation Of 30 Additional Constituencies– Population Imperatives And Other Considerations

Electoral Boundaries Review And Population Census Periodicity: The Need For Precision And Synchronicity In The Process

Winning Presidential Election In Ghana—Fifty Percent Plus One Vote As A Determinant Is Invalid

Human Rights And The Economy

The Visit Of H. E. John Dramani Mahama The President Of The Republic Of Ghana On A Thank You Tour To The Region

STATISTICS

Estimation In Rotation Sampling

Using Cwiq For Poverty Monitoring In Ghana

Launching Of The Report On The Third Round Of The Ghana Living Standards Survey

Importance Of Statistics In Nation Building

Closing Session Of The Training Programme For The Second Phase Of The National Industrial Census

Making Official Statistics Relevant To Users: The Ghanaian Experience

Statistical Needs For Ghana’s Food Policy Plan (1986-88)

Regional Symposium On Social Dimensions Of Adjustment And Development

The Statisticians’ Market

Child Labour In Ghana-A Methodological Sample Survey

Workshop On Pilot Study Of The Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaire (Cwiq) In Ghana

POPULATION & HEALTH

The 1984 Population Census Of Ghana—Radio And Tv Broadcast To The Nation

National Conference On Dissemination Of Results Of The Second Situation Analysis Study Of Family Planning Services In Ghana

International Workshop On Primary Health Care And Population Programmes Management

Demographic Data Analysis Meeting

Data Needs For Effective Health Delivery System

Towards A National Population Census

Moving Ghana’s Health Forward: Socio-Economic Dimension Of Medical Intervention

The Establishment Of A National Population Council And The Launching Of The Population Conference Report

Zonal Dissemination Seminar Of Ghana Living Standards Survey And Ghana Demographic And Health Survey For Policy Makers In The Forest Zone

National Dissemination Seminar On The Findings Of The 1998 Ghana Demographic And Health Survey

NATURAL DISASTERS

Chile Earthquake- A Personal Experience With Global Dimension

Disaster And Humanitarian Response: Innovations In Preparedness

Synopsis Of A Root-Based Model For Globalised Disaster Management And Sustainable Community Development

OIL & GAS

All Nations University College To Establish Oil & Gas Engineering Faculty

Land Surveyors Seminar

Empowering The Youth For The Oil And Gas Industry

CHIEFTAINCY & CULTURE

First National Kente Dinner Dance

Eastern Regional House Of Chiefs 2010 End Of Year Meeting

Wedding Of Christine Akosua Boateng And Stephen Alex Armah

General Meeting Of The Eastern Regional House Of Chiefs

The End-Of-Year Annual General Meeting Of The Eastern Regional House Of Chiefs

The Prempeh College Golden Jubilee Celebration

The Yiadom-Hwedie Royal Family Of Juaben And Its Uniqueness

The New Juaben State - A Historical Perspective

Statistical Chief

Launching The Akwantukese Festival

The Special Addae Kese Durbar In Honour Of Daasebre On The 10Th Anniversary Of His Enstoolment

RELIGION

The Episcopal Ordination And Consecration Of The Very Reverend Francis Benjamin Quashie As Bishop Of Koforidua—Ho Diocese

Visit Of Archbishop Of Canterbury To The New Juaben Palace, Koforidua, Ghana

Methofest 2011

ECONOMY

The Workshop On Monitoring And Evaluation Of Agricultural Projects And Programmes

Review Of Ghana’s Economy

News Commentary On The New Transportation Programme

Symposium On Housing - Its Financing, Land Acquisition And Other Related Matters

Recent Currency Exchange In The Country And Its Possible Effects On The Economy

The Challenges Of The Economy And The 1979/80 Budget

Formal Launch Of Trimble Export Ghana Limited

The Benefits And Challenges Of Managing Our Natural Resources—The Role Of Accounting Professionals

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

COMMENTS

Daasebre Prof. (Emeritus) Oti Boateng’s ‘Development in Unity Vol. 1’ ranks as one of the best compendiums encompassing a wide range of disciplines with remarkable depth and breadth to be published. This laudable initiative from a distinguished traditional ruler, an astute professional Statistician and a distinctive intellectual, is worthy of emulation.

Professor Ivan Addae-Mensah, Former Vice-Chancellor, University of Ghana.

Daasebre’s Compendium provides a rare source of material for Chief Executives, Diplomats and other officials in both public and private organizations as well as for teachers, researchers and students.

Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo, Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ireland.

This compendium adds a new and important dimension to the Chieftaincy institution, immortalizing several aspects of Juaben, Akyem and Asante history.

Nana Susubribi Krobea Asante, Omanhene of Asokore Asante,

Fellow and past President of Ghana Academic of Arts and Sciences.

Daasebre’s book ‘Development in Unity Vol. 1’ produces a powerful and tasty cocktail with something significant for everybody.

Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso, Senior Research Fellow, Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy.

Daasebre’s ‘Development in Unity Vol. 1’ is a welcome Compendium documenting the lifetime history of an illustrious leader.

It represents a composite blend of material embracing many subject areas which impact on human development. It also reflects on Daasebre’s active involvement in nation building as well as his international engagement in several areas of governance for over four decades.

His passion with statistics manifests itself in all the presentations whereby statistical techniques and scientific methods are utilized to predict and provide solutions to the myriad of challenges confronting the chaotic world of ours.

I highly recommend this compendium to readers worldwide.

Professor Nana Berko-Boateng, Director of Polymer Science, Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of

Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

Development in Unity Volume 1 truly reflects Daasebre Oti Boateng’s 30 years of continuous international experience with the United Nations, firstly as a member of the Statistical Commission and its first African Chairman, secondly as the first African Chairman of the International Conference of Labour Statisticians and thirdly as a member of the Advisory Committee on Post Adjustment Questions (ACPAQ) of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) before becoming a full member of the Commission since 2003.

I have known and worked with Daasebre for the past twenty years from the time when he joined ACPAQ where I served as Chief of the Cost-of-Living Division and Secretary to the Committee and later at the Commission itself.

Daasebre’s analytical and penetrating contributions both at ACPAQ and at the Commission are fully displayed in this unique Compendium where his depth of statistical knowledge is utilized to provide technical lucidity to many complex societal problems. This is notably exemplified by his comprehensive demonstration of the invalidity of using ‘50 percent plus one vote’ to determine the outcome of a presidential election.

The Compendium contains several brilliantly written and easy to understand essays on governance, education, population and health, statistics, chieftaincy and culture, religion and the economy which together impinge on its basic theme of development in unity. These essays, particularly his discourse on the economy, are still as pertinent and relevant today as when they were first written.

I was with Daasebre in Santiago, Chile, at the 70th Session of the ICSC when we experienced that devastating earthquake in February 2010. Daasebre has not only produced an illuminating account of the event to make a convincing policy statement but more importantly he has been inspired to develop a Root-based Model for Globalized Disaster Management and Sustainable Community Development which represents a fundamental shift from the mainstream top-down approach.

I strongly recommend this Compendium to the international community as well as the general reader.

Kingston Papie Rhodes, Chairman of the International Civil Service Commission of the United Nations, New York.

DEDICATION

This Book is Dedicated to the Chiefs and People of New Juaben

Traditional State.

REMARKS FROM THE EDITORS

Daasebre Prof. (Emeritus) Oti Boateng, a Traditional Ruler, United Nations Commissioner, Professional Statistician, and distinguished Research Scholar, is amazingly a walking encyclopaedia possessing insightful and analytical knowledge on virtually every issue of our time. He has to his credit one of the longest listing of scholarly and published works spanning nearly half a century.

When some nine months ago, he thankfully obliged with the proposal to produce a set of compendium of his works, we were not disappointed, to say the least. The initial weekly meetings in his house were very rewarding indeed. He was forthcoming with an extensive array of rich analytical material that can fill several volumes. This publication represents the first of three volumes of Compendiums of the Works of Daasebre, dubbed Development in Unity. The significance of this authentic creation, no doubt, lies in how it positively impacts the shaping and reshaping of our desired way of life in the face of an increasingly complex development challenges.

It is our firm belief that our national celebrities, academic giants, and distinguished professionals in their chosen fields, must be able to share knowledge and make strong contribution to the enrichment of our culture and most enduring traditions. This has become necessary especially because of certain international imperatives and competing trends in our global village that demand that we remain current while at the same time identify with our cultural traditions. Daasebre’s Compendium of Works, we equally believe, effectively situates us in the present era while encouraging us to take much pride in our traditional values.

The selected Works of Daasebre published in this Compendium are grouped into nine distinctive sections providing in-depth material and analyses for the general reader as well as a reference base for the researcher and others. Going through the Table of Contents and selecting the articles based on one’s particular interests can be very helpful. For best results, we encourage readers to relate to the title-heads of each article closely and situate effectively with the place and date of the articles and even actively participate in Daasebre’s favourite process of feedback interactions.

PREFACE

This book is a compilation of some of my works over the years. It is the first of three volumes that cover my research efforts, speeches, messages aired on radio, and articles that have been published in various newspapers, journals, and magazines world-wide over the past forty years.

The general theme of this book is Development in Unity. The book is divided into sections under the following sub-themes—(1) Education; (2) Governance; (3) Statistics; (4) Population and Health; (5) Natural Disasters; (6) Oil and Gas; (7) Chieftaincy and Culture; (8) Religion; and (9) Economy.

The theme Development in Unity is derived from the Akwantukese Festival mission of Development in Unity for the Welfare of the People. Instituted in 1997 to mark the fifth Anniversary of my enstoolment, the Akwantukese Festival commemorates the great migration of the Juabens and their allies from their ancestral homes in Asante to establish the New Juaben settlement in the Eastern Region in the 1870s. The festival promotes socio- economic progress through education, traditions and customs and serves as a tourist attraction for people all over the world. It reinforces the traditional bond of ancestral unity between the people of Asante and New Juaben and calls for peaceful co-existence to ensure sustainable development. Above all, the Akwantukese Festival reflects a profound linkage to our past, more especially the ethos of New Juaben.

That is why the book is being launched to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of my enstoolment as Omanhene of New Juaben and as an intergral part of the 2012 Akwantukese Festival of the chiefs and people of the area.

As you read this book, you would realize that the articles relate to the general theme of the Akwantukese Festival. Mahatma Gandhi once said that, "Constant development is the law of life and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear constant drives himself into a false position." Gandhi’s statement highlights the reality that change is a continous process and we must endeavour to contribute positively to the change that envelope our individual as well as community lives. But for change to be meaningful, useful and relevant, it must enhance our efforts at developing ourselves, our communities, our nation and our world at large.

As a traditional leader, I concur with Harvey S. Firestone who said, "The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership." Being the custodian of the rich culture of my people also involves challenging them to explore effective ways of making the necessary adjustments in our culture so as to meet the challenges of our times while trying to preserve the best in our culture for the benefit of future generations.

In our attempt to maintain a dynamic culture, we are mindful of the fact that no culture can live in exclusivity. That is why in my travels throughout the world, I constantly employ the process of feedback interactions to benefit my people. Albert Camus affirmed this approach when he said, "Without culture, and the relative freedom it implies, society is a jungle. This is why any authentic creation is a gift for the future." That is what I have sought to do in these publications - creating a gift for posterity.

Daasebre Professor (Emeritus) Oti Boateng

(Omanhene of New Juaben State, Koforidua, Eastern Region, Ghana).

INTRODUCTION

Culled from The Great Minds of the 21st Century

Emmanuel Oti Boateng is a respected traditional ruler and leader, an eminent national and international executive, and a renowned scholar. He was born into the great and dynamic royal family of the Oyoko clan. Due to his excellent academic achievement, distinguished public service career and exemplary character, he was nominated, elected and enstooled on 26th October 1992 as Omanhene (Traditional King) and the occupant of the Yiadom- Hwedie Stool of the New Juaben State of Ghana with the royal title of ‘Daasebre’ which means ‘His Benevolence’.

Before occupying the Stool as Omanhene, he was a senior research fellow and the director of studies at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at the University of Ghana. From ISSER, he was appointed to the high office of government statistician and head of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS); he became the longest serving government statistician in Ghana for a record period of seventeen and a half years (1982-2000). He held this office with honor and distinction.

Dr Boateng holds the degree of Bachelor of Science with honors in Economics (1966) from the University of Ghana, Master of Science degree in Statistics (1968) from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a Philosophy Doctorate in Statistics with specialization in sampling theory (1976) from the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom. He has over seventy technical publications to his credit in the areas of statistics, computing, economics, population and policy issues. Dr. Boateng developed in his doctoral thesis an algebraic algorithm for the exact inverse of symmetric tri-diagonal matrices, which was a significant contribution to theoretical and practical statistics as it permitted the derivation of exact estimates instead of the hitherto approximate and unreliable estimates in solving important socio- economic problems, especially when sampling on successive occasions.

As a scholar and specialist in statistical analysis and economic development, Dr. Boateng has had extensive consulting and interactive experience with various international agencies such as the World Bank, the World Health Organisation, the United Nations Development Programme, the Canadian International Development Agency, the Food and Agricultural Organisation, the United States Agency for International Development, the International Labour Organisation, and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development. His work experience began in 1963 with the largest bank in Germany, the Deutsche Bank, in their foreign department in Frankfurt. In 1966, he worked with the Boston Edison Company in the USA and produced a classic statistical analysis of Boston Edison’s economic progress relative to the United States economy for the eleven years inclusive from 1955 to 1965.

As government statistician, Dr Boateng rebuilt the Ghana Statistical Service to an enviable position as one of the best in Africa. His keen interest in human resource development galvanised him to recruit and retrain over 100 young statisticians at the postgraduate level to enhance the capacity and capability of the service. He successfully conducted the 1984 population census of Ghana during a period of difficult economic conditions.

He was a member of the National Tripartite Committee for the determination of national minimum wages and negotiation of other conditions of employment and served as chairman of its Technical Subcommittee for sixteen years from 1983 to 1999. During his tenure as government statistician he coordinated and supervised the production of over 350 statistical publications that informed important policy directions. These publications included the 1984 Population Census of Ghana Series (27 volumes), Industrial Census of Ghana (1987-88), Ghana Demographic and Health Survey Reports (1988, 1993, 1998), Ghana Living Standards Survey Reports (4 rounds), The Pattern of Poverty in Ghana (1988-92), and The Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaire (CWIQ) Survey Report in 1997.

Dr Boateng was a member of the United Nations Statistical Commission from 1983 to 1998 and was elected chairman of the commission from 1987 to 1999. By his election, Ghana became the first African country to be elected to chair the United Nations Statistical Commission. He is a member and former vice president of the International Statistical Institute, a worldwide professional body of eminent statisticians established in 1885. In January 1993, he was elected chairman of the 15th International Conference of Labour Statisticians in Geneva, Switzerland. By this achievement, he again became the first African to assume the chairmanship of the International Conference of Labour Statisticians. In April of that year, he was appointed a member of the United Nations Advisory Committee on Post-Adjustment Questions (ACPAQ). He was reappointed for a four-year term for the second and third consecutive times. Dr Boateng thus became a member of a core group of specialists who provided technical advice to the United Nations on matters relating to post-adjustment and the restoration of purchasing power parity of international civil servants. In September 1996, he was invited by the United Nations in New York to assist in the preparation of a revised principles and recommendations on the year 2000 Round of World Population and Housing Census programme which provided universal guidance to all countries embarking on such census-taking at the time.

The annual celebration of the African Statistics Day on 18th November traces its genesis to Dr Boateng’s original proposal of the idea, which was supported by the ECOWAS Directors of Statistics meeting in Accra in 1987 under his chairmanship and subsequently endorsed by ECOWAS Planning Ministers for the Sub-Region before its later adoption by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) for the whole continent. He values the principles of democracy and good governance. He was a member of the Constituent Assembly in 1978 that drafted the third Republican Constitution of Ghana. It is on record that he contributed significantly to the drafting of the constitution particularly, with respect to his recommendation for the establishment of an autonomous Ghana Statistical Service that was accepted by the Constituent Assembly and eventually led to the promulgation of the Statistical Service Law of 1985 (PNDC L135).

He has remarkably strengthened the New Juaben Traditional Council as a local institution for the prosperity of the people. He has enhanced the unity of the chiefs and people of the New Juaben Traditional State by the Akwantukese Festival he instituted in 1997 with a mission of ‘Development in Unity for the Welfare of the People’. The festival is one instrument to mobilize the people, especially the youth, regarding the origins, migration, tradition and custom of the people of New Juaben State and Ashanti, and to serve as cultural and tourist attraction for the people of Ghana and elsewhere. He has reinforced this by the reconstruction of the New Juaben Palace, which has gained acclaim and has become a beacon of tourist package for the region in particular and Ghana as a whole.

To give impetus to competition in the utilization and development of local resources, Dr Boateng has established the Daasebre Award for Excellence, to reward deserving individuals and organisations. The nation has recognised his insightful wisdom, expertise and leadership qualities.

During the first term of the Fourth Republic (1993-97), he was elected as a member of the Council of State, which is constitutionally mandated to counsel the president in the performance of his functions. He is a member of the Standing Committee of the National House of Chiefs and vice president of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs. In December 2002, he was sworn in as a member of the National Population Council by His Excellency, the President of Ghana, to represent the National House of Chiefs. As traditional Ruler, he combines the dual roles of administration and adjudication, mobilizing his people for development and settling disputes among them, chairing and sitting on various judicial committees with original and appellate jurisdiction on all matters affecting chieftaincy at regional and national levels.

Dr Boateng’s excellent academic achievement, brilliance and experience in the field of statistics earned him the recognition of the International Leaders in Achievement, published by the International Biographical Centre in Cambridge, England in 1988. This publication was dedicated to him and other distinguished

personalities, for his ‘Outstanding contribution as a statistician’. He has also accepted an invitation by the I.B.C. to act in the highest capacity as an Honorary Director General for Africa.

Dr Boateng is the son of the late Opanin Kwame Oti and Nana Akosua Akyamaa II, the late Queen of Juaben in Ashanti. He now lives in Koforidua, capital of the Eastern Region of Ghana and the spiritual seat of the Ashantis who migrated in the 1870s to form the New Juaben State. He views success in terms of making a positive difference in one’s station in life, as well as leaving behind a much better place in which to live for the next generation.

On 23rd September 2003, the All Nations University in Koforidua conferred on Daasebre the distinguished title of Professor (Emeritus) of Statistics in recognition of his noble academic career and tremendous achievements in national and international affairs. In July, 2004 the Commonwealth Hall of the University of Ghana and the Old Vandals Association honoured Daasebre, their illustrious alumnus, in recognition of his general contribution to society, especially towards statistical development

in Ghana and the world at large.

Since 2006, Daasebre has received further national and international recognition. The Governing Board of the American Biographical Institute (ABI) conferred on Daasebre in 2006 the distinguished title of Genius Laureate of Ghana as recorded in the 500 Greatest Geniuses of the 21st Century published by the Institute for his "unparalleled intellect and wisdom" as well as his "distinguished progression and mastery in the field as Statistician and Traditional Ruler".

In June 2007, he was honoured with the Distinguished Service Award by the Economics Department of the University of Ghana.

In July, 2008, Daasebre received the illustrious National Award of the Order of the Volta (Civil Division) for his distinguished public service and traditional leadership. On 31st July, 2008, the Daasebre (Professor) Oti Boateng Foundation was established

by the American Biographic Institute to honour distinguished statisticians worldwide.

On 29th July, 2007, Daasebre was elected to the high office of President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs.

Daasebre is the author of the book titled "Barack Obama - Africa’s Gift to the World" written in July 2009 to commemorate the historic visit of President Obama, the first African-American President, to Ghana and Africa. It reinforces the need for harmony and unity among people across the globe and encourages the building of a veritable United Africa with strong institutions and transformational leadership for the rapid socio-economic uplifting of the continent.

On Saturday 21st August, 2010, Daasebre was conferred as Vice- Chancellor of the World Academy of Letters within the Halls of St. John’s College, Cambridge University, England, at the 2010 World Forum on account of the respect he commands as an eminent ruler and leader in Ghana as well as his demonstrated unlimited dedication to expanding the frontiers of thought and intellect.

In March 2012, Daasebre was among a seven-member United Nations Commissioners’ mission to war-torn Afghanistan to interact with the UN personnel with a view to improving their general welfare and boost their morale. He was in the capital City, Kabul, on 11th March with a full schedule of a helicopter visit to Kandahar the following day when suddenly there was a news flash that a U.S Marine had shot dead seventeen Afghans including women and children in the same area.

On 19th April 2012, Daasebre was honoured with a singular invitation from The Rt. Hon. Professor Lord Alton of Liverpool and member of the British House of Lords, to visit the revered House which is an ancient citadel of democracy in the United Kingdom.

EDUCATION

TEACHING SURVEY SAMPLING IN GHANA

by Dr. E. Oti Boateng

Director of Studies, Institute of Statistical, Social and

Economic Research—University of Ghana

Paper presented at First International Conference on

Teaching Statistics, University of Sheffield, England

8 - 13 August, 1982

Introduction

Survey sampling methods have gained general acceptance in Ghana not only because they provide cost-effective means of measuring and making conclusions from data but more importantly they also provide a way of checking the validity of such conclusions. There is now a deep realization that the various functional activities of government can only be properly related to the very needs of the people it seeks to service if knowledge and understanding of such needs are all anchored on solid statistical information. In Ghana, therefore, sample surveys provide an important source of basic statistical knowledge which form the basis of many policy decisions at the governmental and non-governmental levels.

The central concern of this paper is to discuss the problems and issues in teaching survey sampling in Ghana at the University level to diploma, undergraduate and graduate students. Any attempt to develop a viable teaching curriculum must, however, take into consideration the following factors:

1. The needs of the society,

2. The type of preparation of students who require the instruction,

3. The state of development of the nation,

4. The available teaching experiences and

5. Problems and issues in teaching students.

These factors are the philosophical bases in the planning and development of strategies in teaching. The teaching of statistics in a developing country such as Ghana must of necessity comply with these basic trends in educational philosophy. Experience has shown that the five philosophical factors which are mentioned above are almost always taken into consideration in curriculum planning and development. The paper is therefore discussed in the light of these five factors.

Needs of society

To be useful, the teaching of sampling surveys must be geared to the needs of society. Ghana is predominantly rural and agrarian. Agriculture therefore holds a high priority in the development strategy of the nation. In this respect we teach the students how to undertake survey sampling to collect important agricultural statistics such as area under cultivation of the principal crops in the country, yield of the crops, number of holders growing the principal crops, land utilization, number and value of the principal livestock and poultry and the quantity and value of total catch of fish. The teaching stresses the importance of these data in the formulation of viable agricultural development plans in the country and in monitoring the effectiveness of the plan implementation. The teaching also highlights the methods which are usually used such as multi-stage sampling, systematic sampling, stratification and the use of eye estimates to give auxiliary information. The students are shown the different estimation procedures which are used in connection with each method of sampling. They are also given lessons on sampling and non-sampling errors and in particular how to minimize non-sampling errors in large scale surveys.

Another area of great importance to the country is the population statistics. Information on the size of the population, the rate at which it is growing, its distribution by age, sex and ethnicity, the demand forces operating within the country and other demographic characteristics are required to direct developmental efforts. In this connection the census and sample surveys play a complementary role. Therefore, the teaching in this area emphasizes the importance of sampling techniques in determining relevant population characteristics as well as the basic interdependence between the census and sample surveys. The role of sampling in testing census procedures, in broadening the scope of the census by asking additional questions, in post-enumeration field checks and in providing preliminary tabulation of important census data are analyzed to the students. Furthermore, the role of the census as an invaluable aid to sample surveys is exemplified through specific surveys in Ghana which use the census as sampling frame and others which utilize census information as benchmark data for increasing precision of the sample estimates. Finally, the teaching stresses the use of sampling to collect intercensal data such as the estimation of the population at specific periods and its geographical distribution, the estimation of the components of population change (fertility, mortality and migration) and the estimation of a number of other demographic characteristics of the existing population.

A crucial area of societal concern is in the field of health. Health statistics are needed to provide information that will be used by decision-makers in establishing national health priorities and in the allocation of resources. In the area of health the curriculum covers manpower analysis of health personnel, in-patient and out-patient mobility and mortality and factors which influence utilization of health services. The students are taught how to take samples to obtain information on prevalence of diseases, doctor- patient ratio, the ‘ratio-analysis’ of other health personnel and the rural-urban differences in health allocation. The role of repeated sample surveys in determining incidence of diseases, the disease map of the country, the mortality and morbidity pattern and the course and cause of disease within the society are stressed. Moreover, students take part in sample surveys conducted by the Institute to determine factors which influence utilization of health services.

Other areas of importance to the society include industrial statistics and statistics on housing, education, employment and prices. The teaching in these areas emphasizes the unique role of sample survey as an instrument for collecting basic data in these fields. In the field of industry we teach students how to conduct sample surveys to determine the volume and value of industrial production, the number of people in industrial employment and growth rates. The use of sample surveys at the micro level to maintain proper quality control of products, to monitor progress in terms of output per man hour and to ascertain the profitability or otherwise of various wings of each industry are also stressed. In the area of housing the students take part in actual surveys such as ‘Housing and Health in Madina’ to collect data on the number of dwelling units by type of unit, the household size, number of rooms and occupants therein, source of water supply and availability of sanitary facilities. Statistics for educational development focus on stock data on the number of educational institutions by level of education, type of education and size of enrolment, number of teachers available for each type and level of education, number of pupils enrolled and their performance and facilities available for social education such a community centre, libraries and adult literacy centres.

In terms of employment, sample surveys are important for periodic review of existing manpower structure and needs. In Ghana, 45 percent of the entire population is within the age group 15 years and under thus depicting our population as extremely youthful. The number of people who are working as compared to their dependants have implications for the socio-economic system. Sampling in the area of manpower statistics is therefore useful to direct us to the type and quality of personnel we are producing to meet changing job patterns.

In Ghana, statistics of prices are very important as price relations play a fundamental role in the formulation of development plans and related decisions of an economic nature. These relations largely determine the type and volume of the productive activities in the economy. In the area of prices, we teach the students the procedures involved in carrying out sample surveys to collect systematic information on prices for use in describing those aspects of the economic situation which can be reflected by price relations and for providing data needed for decision-making relating to economic activities.

Preparation of students requiring instruction

There are four categories of students who enter the University for instruction in survey sampling techniques. The first category of students are those who take the Certificate course in Statistics. They enter the University with GCE ‘O’ Level background. They do not possess the requisite mathematical background for the course so a practical approach to survey sampling is designed to meet with their needs and background. They are required to do actual survey project and write a report on their work at the end of the course. When they complete the course they are expected to fill the vacancies in the statistical offices to collect field information and do basic routine work in statistics. In this regard 20 percent of admissions is reserved to students who are sponsored by various institutions.

The second category of students are those who perform so well in the certificate course. They are encouraged to register for the Diploma course. In the diploma course the following aspects of the curriculum are taught: Censuses and Sample Survey methods and techniques, i.e. simple random sampling, stratified sampling, linear systematic sampling and cluster sampling, in more details. This course is also used as a refresher or remedial training for students in the social sciences.

A course is also designed for undergraduate students who are expected to qualify with B.Sc. or B.A. degree. Unlike the previous categories this group of students have adequate preparation in mathematics and statistics. The students are therefore taught the normal course in the methods and theory of sampling.

The entry requirements for B.Sc. in statistics are the same as those to the University including a pass in mathematics at GCE ‘A’ level or its equivalent. No previous knowledge of statistics is, however, needed. Duration of the course is three years with an examination at the end of each year. The course in sample survey methods is offered in the second year, Part I, after the students have completed their First University Examination (F.U.E) in statistics and probability. In this course, the students are taught the fundamental principles and methods associated with survey sampling. Minimum mathematical treatment of simple random sampling, systematic sampling, stratified sampling and cluster sampling is also given. Some students from the Faculties of Social Studies and Arts who offer two-year single-subject honours