EC Gives Clarification On the Disposal of Obsolete BVD's Found at Recycling Plant

The Electoral Commission, in a press release on 26th April, 2024 explained that, the said biometric verification devices which were sighted at a recycling plant at Madina, a suburb of Accra, was legally auctioned to a private recycling farm due to how obsolete the machines were.

Portions of the press release stated, "the Electoral Commission wishes to address misleading narratives circulating on social media regarding the disposal of obsolete Biometric Verification Devices ( BVDS) by the Commission."Per the Commission's release, the machines were seen on the 18th of April at the recycling plant for which the Greater Accra Regional Director of the Commission was promptly informed.

The commission added that, after a thorough investigation, they discovered that they said machines were old and obsolete and have been legally auctioned to the recycling company.

The commission stated, "the obsolete BVDs that were found at the recycling plant, were acquired prior to the2012 elections and were utilized by the current Commission for the 2019 District Level Elections(DLE). It is important to note that, the previous administration had earmarked and received approval to invest US$56 million for the refurbishment of Biometric Verification Devices(BVDs), Biometric Voter Registration Kits (BVRs), a Data Centre and some new equipment as part of preparations towards the 2018 Referendum and the 2019 District Level Elections (DLE).""The Managers of the Commission's Biometric Infrastructure had in several correspondence to the EC, stated that the Biometric equipment were not only obsolete but had reached their End of Life-meaning, they could no longer be maintained.

The current Commission however cancelled the contract for the total refurbishment, and conducted the 2019 DLE using the available equipment and without exhausting the US$56 nillion."The Electoral Commission added that the replacement of the obsolete 2012 equipment with robust new equipment and infrastructure, rather than refurbishing them for a short-term use, was a decision taken by the current Commission to ensure the prudent use of resources as well as to guarantee the integrity of electoral processes and elections in Ghana.

The Electoral Commission is said to have utilised US$51 Million out of the US$56 million approved largely for the refurbishment of obsolete equipment, towards the procurement of two (2) new Data Centres, 74,500 new BVDs, and 8,500 new BVR kits.A total of USS68,661.912.67 was used to procure the above listed equipment and data centres."The Commission categorically rejects the allegation of sneaking out thousands of devices for recycling at a loss to the State.

As indicated earlier, the Original Equipment Manufacturers and the Managers of the Commission's biometric infrastructure, HSB Identification BV and STL respectively, informed the former Commission in writing about the obsolete nature of the Commission's Biometric infrastructure."''They indicated that the Biometric equipment and other equipment in the Data Centre had reached End of Life- meaning they could no longer be serviced as parts for them were no longer available.