Bright Simons, Vice President of IMANI Africa, has raised concerns regarding the Electoral Commission’s disposal of Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs), alleging that it results in a loss to the state.
Mr Simons criticized the Commission’s decision to sell the devices for recycling, asserting that they cannot be considered “scrap.”
In a series of tweets, Simons contested the EC’s justification for disposing of the BVDs, arguing that they were purchased at significant expense and should not be sold for scrap at a fraction of their original cost.
He highlighted documents from Parliament, the Auditor-General, and the Ministry of Finance to support his claims, suggesting that the disposal of the devices contradicts the EC’s assertion that they are obsolete.
2/
Study the documents carefully.
A. You will see that millions of $ were spent on these gadgets. They are now being sold for scrap at few 1000s of GHS.
B. 1000s of gadgets were bought in 2016 & 2018 & could not have been obsolete as they are used only during elections. #SHAME pic.twitter.com/0JNIXdozQs— Bright Simons (@BBSimons) April 26, 2024
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission has denied allegations of improper disposal, stating that the 10 BVDs discovered at a recycling company in Madina, Accra, were outdated devices that had been legally auctioned.
According to the Commission, these devices were acquired before the 2012 elections and were used in the 2019 District Level Elections (DLE).
The Commission explained that the previous administration had intended to refurbish the outdated devices for the 2018 referendum and the 2019 DLE, despite being advised by the Commission’s Biometric Infrastructure managers that the equipment was obsolete.
However, the current Commission opted to procure new equipment instead of repairing the outdated devices, citing the need to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
Emphasizing the transparent nature of the auction process, the Commission stated that the proceeds from the sale of the obsolete devices were duly deposited into the Consolidated Fund.