For the first time since I quit Afrobarometer I wish I still had that job just to I can tear into this article and shred it to bits!!! First of all whats with the headline? Myjoyonline how do these ignorant statements from these limited people amount to a shredding? Do you not know anything at all about surveys? if no can you not enquire? I am very disappointed that journalists from Multimedia will write a headline like this. As for Felix, I Just pity him. He claims to have a masters degree? Prof John Ok I have a student for you. A man with two degrees who has no knowledge of how surveys are conducted and no knowledge of statistics. He needs to Go back to basic statistics 101 and equip himself with basic knowledge of statistics. Besides These kinds of statements were made by Ablakwa and others in the past with regards to Afrobarometer but even he Ablakwa backtracked during the round 5 release to say he no longer thought the sample was not representative. Felix has embarrassed himself and hugely embarrassed the government with his loose talk. Afrobarometer is an internationally recognized survey that is used by many serious institutions in analysing the economic and social environment in Ghana. Infact the data is used by all the donors who continue to prop this government up with financial assistance. They will be scanning the airwaves and can only imagine their mirth and derision to read that a minister of state in Ghana not only does not understand basic statistics, but can confidently speak for the whole government of Ghana in such an ignorant manner!!!! Afrobarometer surveys are conducted across Africa in over 30 countries. The protocols and survey instruments are standardized, the methodology is rigorous and researchers across Africa painstakingly work to bring the results to us all. It is the only project of its nature on the continent of Africa where policymaking in many countries is based on whims of politicians and political expediency of political actors and rarely on hard data or scientifically derived indicators. By the time data from the fifth round of survey results were released, many government officials in Ghana had stopped the hitherto practice of questioning the methodology and sample size as a line of defence. They had come to understand the value of the survey. My unsolicited advice to government of Ghana, the same advice I have given to several government officials across Africa is this: Afrobarometer is a free resource that allows you to have a clear unbiased insight into the hearts and minds of citizens. Embrace it and use it for your benefit. The data is also a public good and as such FREE. Put your own researchers to work analysing the information to provide inputs for your own policymaking endeavours. Dear Mr. Prez surely, you can find better informed spokespersons???
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 07:41:36 +0000
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