Abandon new voters register, use monies for roads – Drivers

Members of the True Drivers Union (TDU) have called on the government and the Electoral Commission to abandon plans to compile a new voter register.

The EC believes the integrity of the 2020 polls could be undermined if a new roll and a new Biometric Voter Management System are not put in place.

In a statement, the EC said: “The current kits and solutions are obsolete: They are End-Of-Life (EOL) and can no longer be supported by their Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM). The immediate past vendors of the solution proposed that the Commission replace all the equipment and also upgrade the Data Centre. This was rehashed by the Consultants we engaged to audit our systems

“It is important to emphasise that whether we compile a new voters’ register or not, there is the need to acquire new equipment to replace the obsolete kits acquired in 2011. It is therefore important to delink the procurement of equipment and kits from the registration exercise. We state again that whether or not the EC compiles a new register or conducts a limited registration exercise, we will procure new kits to replace the obsolete ones. Additionally, we will acquire a new data centre with robust state-of-the-art servicers and equipment at the cost of 6 Million Dollars instead of upgrading the existing one at the cost of 15 million United States Dollars as proposed by the previous vendors.

“Again, we are replacing the existing software with a new one to enable us own and control our systems unlike the previous situation where the solution was owned, controlled and managed by the vendors.

“There is no doubt that the voter register is bloated. The bloat is because we have not developed an effective way of cleaning the register. The bloated register increases the cost of our elections. The Commission always procures election materials based on the number of registered voters. This causes a lot of waste as the number of registered voters exceeds the actual voters.

“Considering the above challenges, the Commission has come to the conclusion that it will be cheaper and prudent to acquire new BVRs and BVDs which are robust and user friendly than to upgrade old and obsolete ones. Again, the Commission will go ahead with the preparation of a new biometric voters’ register based on the reasons provided earlier”.

The drivers said the move is worrying and disheartening given “the government’s constant neglect of pertinent issues such as the construction and maintenance of feeder and major road networks across the country.”

The Union said it is a mis prioritised attempt by the government to direct hard earned public funds on a new voter register to the absolute neglect of the road systems across the country.

The Union in a statement signed by its PRO Mr Yaw Barimah said “Deplorable Roads conditions have continuously been an emotional issue in Ghana. Ghanaians constantly wake up to countless news reportage regarding agitations and threats of demonstration by well-meaning citizens in respect of poor road conditions.

“This phenomenon by our estimation is a direct impact of the incessant misdirection of public funds on avenues like the compilation of a new voter’s register that yield little or no benefits to us as a nation. We are of the firm view that channeling the budgeted millions of cedis to the Road Fund will consolidate the account and aid government efforts to the construction and maintenance of road networks.

“This attempt will reflect a wider national interest than investing in the compilation of a needless new voters register. The deplorable road situation has not seen much improvement despite the huge contributions made by drivers from the monthly and annual road worthiness and daily tow charges as well as levies paid by ordinary Ghanaians on fuel price buildup.”

The statement continued that “the road fund levy, currently 48 pesewas on each liter of petrol and diesel consumed, was established with the sole intent to finance routine and periodic maintenance and rehabilitation of road networks within the country. With a monthly consumption of fuel estimated at three hundred and fifty million Litres (350,000,000) The fund generates in excess of one hundred and sixty- eight million cedis (GHS168,000,000) monthly.

"We, therefore, call on government to immediately abandon the thoughts of a new voter register and Commit the resources in the construction and maintenance of roads in Ghana.”