The Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Kweku Baako Jnr is wondering where IMANI Ghana got their facts from since it’s totally different from what he has gathered.
Policy think-tank IMANI Africa, suspects a ‘corrupt procurement gig’ in the Electoral Commission's decision to compile a new voters' register.
At the press conference in Accra on Tuesday, March 10, Vice-President (in Charge of Research) at IMANI Africa, Bright Simons argued that the EC’s claim that it will cost just about US$56 million to procure a new system is deceitful.
“Turns out it would cost US$15 million to refresh the 30 percent of the existing system that needs refreshing and that it will cost us US$72 million to replace just the hardware plus more for software. Add this to the cost of fresh mass registration, and the total of loss to Ghana of the EC’s actions amount to US$150 million...” he said.
But economic cost is not the only thing to be worried about.
Acording to IMANI Ghana, the EC also bungled the procurement process, leaving a trail of evidence suggesting tender-rigging. This has opened the process to litigation and delay.
The EC used one day to disqualify well-qualified bidders, claiming that they had reputational problems.
According to Imani Ghana boss, Franklin Cudjoe, EC's recent procurement process for the selection of vendors for the Biometric Voter Management Solution (BVMS) is fraught with irregularities, claiming that Commission was going to pay for more contrary to earlier position that money would be saved.
"They say they are blacklisted by World Bank . . . honestly, I have not seen any of those reports but I am aware such reports are on the internet," Kweku Baako said.
"I would really love to have access to established findings coming out from investigative processes by credible organisations that this particular entity is so bad that it has been blacklisted and that sanctions have been imposed on them by appropriate authorities indicating that you don't even have to give them a chance when you are considering procurement. I would want to see that . . . " he argued on Peace FM's 'kokrokoo' programme.
"My records point to a different direction," Kweku Baako insisted.
According to him if there is such a thing and we allowed them to partake in the competitive bidding, then we check our own procurement laws to correct them.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has ruled out any unfair practices in the award of contracts for the procurement of electoral materials for the upcoming elections.
Listen to his submission in video below
Background
Policy think-tank IMANI Africa, suspects a ‘corrupt procurement gig’ in the Electoral Commission's decision to compile a new voters' register.
At the press conference in Accra on Tuesday, March 10, Vice-President (in Charge of Research) at IMANI Africa, Bright Simons argued that the EC’s claim that it will cost just about US$56 million to procure a new system is deceitful.
“Turns out it would cost US$15 million to refresh the 30 percent of the existing system that needs refreshing and that it will cost us US$72 million to replace just the hardware plus more for software. Add this to the cost of fresh mass registration, and the total of loss to Ghana of the EC’s actions amount to US$150 million...” he said.
“This is not necessarily about this administration. This has been going on for years and it turns out that we are spending too much. You all have an idea of how much a laptop, camera and scanner costs, and you put it together and add a printer. When someone tells you that it’s US$3,500 to US$4,000, you don’t have to be a genius to know. You have to start wondering whether we are getting value for money. And it is not therefore surprising that countries like Zimbabwe and the like, get it far cheaper than we do. We are spending at most three times more than what Zimbabwe does,” he said.
“When we add all that up, it comes to one simple conclusion that since 2011, it is a lie that we have not bought any new equipment and we’ve spent millions of dollars. From the parliamentary records, we’ve seen almost US$80 million since then buying new things. So if we have to do anything, we just have to do a little more repairs, do a little maintenance, buy a few things, and that will not get you to the US$74 million that they said you need to improve the current system.”
“ . . If you add all of that, you add contingency and the unnecessary registration of 17 million people all over again, you are getting close to US$150 million of our money being blown for reasons that nobody can explain in this country.”
Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
What at all will the register do for the ordinary person? Look at the traffic situation between Jerusalem Gate and Central University on the Accra-Aflao road. Even one has to be in a very long vehicular traffic at Tsokpoli near Dawa to pay road toll, yes, to pay road toll. Look at the Budumburam traffic off the Kasoa-Mankessim road. Are we saying a new voters register is more important at this time than these roads? Awww!
WHAT CREDIBLE INVESTIGATION DO YOU WANT AGAIN? BECAUSE YOUR PARTY IS NOW EXPOSE YOU NEED CREDIBLE INVE....... GOD IS WATCHING YOU AND EC.
For those who are insulting Kweku Baaku need to go back to school because they dont like reading.. U will appreciate Kweku if u like reading because facts are facts..Imani cannot conjure his own figures and then expects everybody to believe.. They should show concrete evidence.. EC is quoting a different figure and Imani is also quoting a different figure but if I may ask who will u believe more.. I will believe EC MORE because they have documentation to back the figures they put out there
Stomach journalist Kweku Baaku
I'm just wondering and at the same time thinking aloud. Haven't we got polling assistants at all the polling stations? I read in the UK independent newspaper that Ghana has a world class voting system. After every election in Ghana we are lucky to have an open and free system where the radio stations start to announce the results from the polling stations. The opposition in Ghana should give us a break and stop making unnecessary noise.
The coranad virus was confirmed long ago on the early hours of 11th March,2019. The president and his handlers hurriedly organised state broadcast to Ghanaians to announced theeir preparedness. Less then 24hrs,after the president broadcast ,they have informed the public at large .The president and his handlers were briefed long ago but kept ig themselves and hurriedly conjured fake us 100 million. NPP PROPAGANDA .
F*ck off, Mr Baako. NPP ***barred word***!
And who the f*u*c*k are you Baako, the stomach journalist, you are irrelevant
IMANI is a stomach direction think tank. Just ignore them they are hungry. NPP is not paying them like NDC did, that is why all the noises.
hypocrite. U need a credible source? Africa dont need this kind.