Africa-Press – Ghana. President John Dramani Mahama has sworn-in Dr Alhassan Iddrisu as Government Statistician, tasking him to be bold, innovative, and “fiercely professional”.
He further charged Dr Iddrisu to lead efforts to place credible data and evidence at the heart of Ghana’s national transformation agenda.
The swearing-in, which took place at the Presidency, in Accra, I was witnessed by Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the Finance Minister; Dr Johnson Pandit Asiamah, the Governor of the Central Bank; Dr Zakari Mumuni, the First Deputy Governor of the BoG; Mr. Julius Debrah, the Chief of Staff at the Presidency and Dr Callistus Mahama, the Executive Secretary to the President.
Others were Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, the Defence Minister; Alhaji Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, the Minister for the Interior; Mr. Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Minister of State in-charge of Government Communications and Presidential Spokesman; and Dr Dominic Akrutine Ayine, the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General.
President Mahama said the Ghana Statistical Service was not only a custodian of national data, but also a strategic partner in development planning, economic management, and democratic accountability.
He said the decisions they make as a government on issues such as poverty alleviation, youth unemployment, regional development, and social protection were only as effective as the data on which they were based.
“In this regard, appointing a new Government Statistician is not a routine administrative action. It is a strategic move to strengthen the foundations of data governance, improve public sector performance, and enable citizens, businesses, and policymakers alike to access credible information on the state and direction of our nation,” the President said.
He said he welcomed Dr Iddrisu into this high office with complete confidence in his experience, professionalism, and integrity.
He noted that the new Government statistician brings a distinguished track record in statistical research, institutional development, and applied data analysis to this role.
The President added that this background would be crucial as the service takes on new responsibilities in line with emerging national and global data priorities.
“We live in a data-intensive age, and Ghana cannot afford to fall behind in collecting, harmonizing, and disseminating reliable statistics,” President Mahama stated.
He added: “Whether tracking inflation and GDP, monitoring SDGs and progress, mapping climate impacts, or preparing for the next population census, the Ghana Statistical Service must lead with credibility, independence, and innovation.”
The President reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to protecting Statistical Services’ professional independence.
He reiterated that statistical integrity was not a luxury, and that it was a necessity.
The President said citizens must believe that the numbers published by the service were objective and factual and were free from political interference.
He assured investors that Ghana’s macroeconomic data were credible, and that development partners must know that the nation’s resource frameworks were measurable and verifiable.
President Mahama said he was excited about the service’s role in supporting the rollout of our key initiatives, such as the 24-Hour Economic Policy, the Ghana CARES Programme, the National Apprenticeship Scheme, and their inclusive education and health reforms.
He underscored that these programmes require granular, real-time data to ensure that the most vulnerable were reached, and that no one was left behind.
Dr Iddrisu in his acceptance speech thanked President Mahama for the confidence reposed in him and he further pledged to approach the office not just as a position, but as a sacred national duty.
“This is a call to lead the charge in placing data and evidence at the heart of governance and national transformation,” he said, adding, “in a rapidly changing world where information drives prosperity, the role of the Ghana Statistical Service has never been more crucial than now.”
Dr Iddrisu outlined a bold vision for the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), committing to build a modern, technology-driven, agile, and trusted institution capable of producing credible, timely, and relevant data to support Ghana’s macroeconomic stabilisation programme and socio-economic development initiatives.
Key among his priorities is the fast-tracking of the rebasing of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to improve the quality of inflation data and extending CPI reporting to the district level to support government’s decentralisation agenda.
He also pledged to produce inflation data on a rural-urban basis to capture price dynamics across different parts of the country.
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