PHOTO: LISGIS acting Director, Wilmot Smith
By J. Peter S. Dennis, dennisrealone@gmail.com
SANOYEA, Liberia- All enumerators in training across the country are demanding the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Service (LISGIS) to speedily transfer their feeding fees to enable them commute freely.
Earlier this week, LIGIS Acting Director General Wilmot Smith reacted strongly to claims by various enumerators for the pending 2022 census around the country, terming their claims as false, misleading and diabolical lies.
Sources have confirmed to this Reporter that each enumerator in training will receive $50 USD for feeding reimbursement for the five (5) days training.
It’s not however, not clear when such fund will be disbursed to relieve the tensions on the already struggling enumerators in training.
Besides, each enumerator will be marked $25USD per day, LISGIS sources have said. Many have maintained that the compensation fund is a drop in the ocean considering the work’s nature.
They told our reporter that the envisaged daily compensation is $150 USD if the country must record affective and credible data.
They also want a clearer understanding of the reported two days extension of the training.
Many have since complained of reported abandonment as LISGIS has maintained that it will reimburse its enumerators.
According to them, since their names surfaced at various training facilities, they keep living in debt due to the inconveniences posed by LISGIS.
“It will keep being catastrophically dangerous if we don’t get our feeding fees for the five days! We have credited and the people are awaiting their money. How do we pay back when LISGIS has not sent us money?” they inquired.
“For me, I am just waiting for that money to pay my way back” one of them voiced
“We have bear it for the longest in hunger! Why will they keep playing fun out of us?” they stressed.
Meanwhile, no official of LISGIS or World Bank has responded.
Earlier on Monday, Acting LISGIS Director General Wilmot Smith disclosed on ELBC radio that 17071 enumerators were selected for the five days training. Of the number, he continued, “2760 enumerators will be selected as supervisors through a test.”
According to him, payment isn’t done by LISGIS, adding that they 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.
At the same time, the National Housing and Population Census has been rescheduled to November 22 over reported irregularities, House Speaker Dr. Bhofal Chambers announced Thursday.
According to him, the decision was reached after meeting LISGIS leadership and representatives of UNFPA- a major partner to the second postwar census in Liberia.
The Digital Census was initially scheduled for October 24 to November 7, 2022.
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 after every ten year years.”
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.