Bright Simons, the Vice President of IMANI Africa, has raised concerns about the Electoral Commission’s disposal of Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs), claiming that the devices were sold for recycling at a loss to the state.
Mr Simons in a series of posts on X platform criticized the EC’s assertion that the devices were obsolete, arguing that they were only used during elections and therefore could not be considered scrap.
In a series of tweets, Simons shared documents from Parliament, the Auditor-General, and the Ministry of Finance, which he claims expose the EC’s actions.
He pointed out that millions of dollars were spent on the devices, which are now being sold for scrap at significantly lower prices. He also highlighted that thousands of devices purchased in 2016 and 2018 could not have been obsolete as they are only used during elections.
2/
— Bright Simons (@BBSimons) April 26, 2024
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
However, the Electoral Commission has denied these allegations, stating that the 10 BVDs discovered at a recycling company in Madina, Accra, were outdated devices that had been legally auctioned.
The Commission clarified that the devices were acquired before the 2012 elections and were used in the 2019 District Level Elections (DLE).
Despite a previous administration’s plan to refurbish the devices, the current Commission decided to procure new equipment instead, citing the advice of its Biometric Infrastructure managers that the equipment was obsolete and no longer useful.
The Commission emphasized that the auction of the devices was conducted transparently, with the proceeds duly deposited into the Consolidated Fund. It rejected any claims of wrongdoing and criticized IMANI Africa for allegedly misinforming the public.