Statistical Service Lumps Ewe Tribes Into One In 2021 Census Instrument

The 2021 Census Instrument sponsored by the Statistical Service of Ghana presents columns for tribal demographics for all ethnic groups in Ghana except the Ewes.

Consequently, Ewe tribes such as Aŋlɔ, Tɔŋu, Ʋedome, Aɖaklu, Avenɔ and Ɖakpa have not been provided for in the sub-ethnic coding that the Statistical Service includes in the Instrument for every other tribe.

However, the Prof. Samuel Anim and Prof. Awusabu Asare-led census so lavishly provide sub-ethnic coding for the Akan ethnic group that even Akan tribes that have not been heard of before are reportedly captured.

The situation has led to protests on social media with some chiefs of the Eweland said to have served notice that they will lead their people to boycott the census if the discrimination is not reversed.

Pages 295-296 of the census Field Officers’ Manual which is available on the GSS website are the place of contention for those who protest the alleged discrimination.

Listed as code 301, the Ewe ethnic group is the only Major ethnic group that does not have “Various Ethnic Groups.”

The Akan Major Ethnic Group has 19 other ethnic groups including, “Chokosi” and “Bawle” which many say are unheard of.

Meanwhile, the ethnicity table by the GSS also places Sissala under the Grusi major ethnic group. It is not clear if Sissala can be described as a tribe of the Grusi ethnic group.

It has been argued that within the Sissala ethnic group, there are tribes including the Tumu people, the Bugubele and the Welembele Sissala among others.

The GSS has set 27th June 2021 as the Census Night after which nationwide enumeration of households and institutions begins.