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Another LIGIS Pre-Census Saga: In Bong, Assigned Enumerators In Training Enraged

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By J. Peter S. Dennis, dennisrealone@gmail.com

GBARNGA, Liberia- Assigned Enumerators in training want the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) provide clarity on their statuses, amid floating listings.

Up to press time, not a single enumerator in training had received a cent for feeding and compensation for either being assigned out of their comforts across the country, this reporter has learned.

Since the administration of the Attitude Test on Wednesday to present, all assigned trainees are being left completely stranded.

The nationwide test that started very late and even administered at night at some centers was read out to students from phones- a historic venture.

The facilitators only mentioned that they didn’t receive hard copies. There was no proper explanation given.

Two days after the test, ‘ a result was posted on the walls after the test”. These results were trashed in hours when LISGIS, on its official website, posted a total different listing by reassigning those already stranded people.

Many of them were omitted without compensation after incurring expenses.

This listing stirred everywhere with the Salala training center reportedly replace with the invisible Church of Christ center in Gbarnga. Many who witnessed double names under this center were in limbo when they arrived there.

Credibly, the Church of Christ Center has again been dissolved, thus spouting the Salala training center.

Fast forward, the hungers and inconveniences for the enumerators in training are totally unbelievable as many depend on their struggling colleagues for survival as they’re just surviving in training on the mercy of God.

Speaking on ELBC on Monday, Acting LISGIS Director Wilmot Smith said the training is in full swing.

According to him, payment isn’t done by LISGIS, adding that will submit qualified applicants’ names to the World Bank for payment.

“Each qualified applicant will receive $50USD as feeding for the five days” Smith said.

According to him, LISGIS had a system issue, thus taking responsibility of everything.

On taking the test, he stressed that, people were allowed to take the test anywhere and be deployed anywhere.

Wilmot Smith announced that they need 17,071 enumerators.

“We trust the results, we stand by the results posted on the official LISGIS website and we will go by it” he announced.

“Official Listing of Enumerators after Aptitude Test. This is the Listing Per County and Training Centers that should be used to Trained Enumerators. Please be Patient with us as we are uploading Counties by Counties to the Server. Note: No Result posted earlier on wall is accepted for the Purpose of this Exercise. Only the Result uploaded on this Portal is Official” the notice on LISGIS’ website reads.

He further denounced results posted on the walls, thus asking everyone to revert to its website.

“We can’t compromise this process” he pointed out.

He promised administrative actions on unscrupulous facilitators reportedly receiving money from applicants to be enlisted as successful.

“We will take administrative actions against those names coming out. Our recruitment committee is working on identifying them. We can promise you that we will come out with names in 24 hours” he announced.

“No facilitator has the consent to reassign anyone” Smith announced to millions of Liberians who listened on Monday.

On feeding, Wilmot Smith disclosed that they encouraged local businesses to pre finance the process.

He later summersaults that they later didn’t materialize the discussion on feeding, although many reportedly procured assorted food items for the training.

It’s not clear whether they will be compensated, as he says “we have already finalized the budget of 24 million dollars for the census”.

2760 will be selected through a test to select supervisors from the 17071 enumerators in the process, he added.

Acting LISGIS Director Wilmot Smith maintained that the process will commence as scheduled.

Briefly speaking, the Superintendent Council chair, Janjay Gbargbeh of Grand Bassa County stressed that people should be assigned in their localities to ensure proper functionality.

Some of the enumerators in training who spoke on anonymity of losing their positions under LISGIS said, “We need funding. We’re suffering as LISGIS has not sent anything to us. To even eat is difficult for us”.

They appealed for urgent transfer to ease burden as they are in strange environments.

The 2022 National Housing and Population Census is in consonance to article 39 of the Liberia constitution.

“The Legislature shall cause a census of the Republic to be undertaken every ten yearAid

The last census was conducted in 2008.

This 2022 digital census is being sponsored by the World Bank. UNFPA, the Embassy of Sweden and Irish Aid are partners.

“Shape your future, be counted, leave no one behind,” is the mantra.

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