The Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) has clarified allegations made by Bright Simons, Vice President of IMANI Africa, regarding the disposal of election equipment.
In a statement released on April 26, 2024, the EC addressed Simons’ claims, which he has been promoting since 2020.
The EC explained that the equipment in question was auctioned in 2022, not recently, as Simons suggested.
Additionally, the Commission revealed that the auctioned equipment did not cost $150 million, nor did its replacement cost $300 million, as claimed by Simons.
Simons had alleged that the EC discarded functional equipment to justify procuring new devices, citing wastefulness in Ghana’s political system.
However, the EC’s statement contradicts his claims, emphasizing that the equipment was auctioned in 2022, and the procurement of new devices was a prudent decision that saved the country money.
The Commission shared figures and details of its procurement in 2020, demonstrating that the decision to acquire new devices was cost-effective. The EC also clarified that the equipment procured in 2018 cost less than $150 million.
Simons had claimed that the EC moved functional equipment to a warehouse for disposal, but the EC stated that the equipment was auctioned in 2022.
Simons also alleged that the Auditor General failed to conduct an asset audit, but the EC clarified that its decision to procure new devices was prudent and cost-saving.
The EC’s response aims to set the record straight and dispel the misinformation spread by Simons and IMANI Africa.
