Bright Simons accuses EC of throwing away devices worth $150m just to procure new ones

Bright Simons, a vice president of IMANI Africa, has accused the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) of throwing away election equipment that cost the nation over $150 million.

According to Simons, the said equipment, which includes biometric devices, are in perfect condition but are being thrown away for the EC to be able to procure new ones.

The IMANI vice president, who made these claims in a series of posts shared on X, on Sunday, April 21, 2024, said that his outfit raised the issue of the EC attempting to procure new equipment with its decision to compile a new voters register but no one paid attention.

He said that the EC has now moved the equipment used during the 2020 election to a warehouse for them to be processed as scraps after the Auditor General failed to check if there is a need to procure new equipment.

“The Auditor General REFUSED to conduct an asset audit of the existing EC biometric voting equipment to settle the issue of whether the country needed to spend $150m on new devices given the 1000s in stock of good condition. Finally, those devices have surfaced!

“After waiting for us to 'forget' about the issue, the EC has quietly sneaked out the 1000s of devices purchased from 2016 to 2020 to a plant to "recycle" for cheap plastics & metals at a massive loss of millions of dollars! The IMF & World Bank subsidise this conduct!” he wrote.

Simons indicated that the EC’s action is an example of the wastefulness in Ghana’s political system which ‘frightens’ him.

“To throw away $150 million or so of equipment, many in perfect working condition, without a proper asset audit, just so you can push through fresh procurement is SHAMEFUL & the clear reason why Ghana eventually went bankrupt & went to the IMF, which seems happy condoning this,” he added.

Simon also shared pictures of the said equipment at a warehouse.

The Electoral Commission is yet to react to the allegation by the IMANI vice president.

View the posts below:

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The Auditor General REFUSED to conduct an asset audit of the existing EC biometric voting equipment to settle the issue of whether the country needed to spend $150m on new devices given the 1000s in stock of good condition. Finally, those devices have surfaced! pic.twitter.com/SGzVESlkdp

— Bright Simons (@BBSimons) April 21, 2024

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To throw away $150 million or so of equipment, many in perfect working condition, without a proper asset audit, just so you can push through fresh procurement is SHAMEFUL & the clear reason why Ghana eventually went bankrupt & went to the IMF, which seems happy condoning this. pic.twitter.com/jAVDsPU1tw

— Bright Simons (@BBSimons) April 21, 2024