We Never Said We Auctioned 10 BVDs- EC to IMANI Africa

The Electoral Commission (EC) has responded to IMANI Africa’s criticism over the disposal of what the Commission called obsolete Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs), noting it never announced 10 were disposed of.

The policy think tank punched some holes into the EC’s clarification of the disposal released on April 26, asserting the statement was “full of lies, half-truths, and pure fantasies”.

“The EC’s press statement was full of lies, half-truths, and pure fantasies. The EC says that only 10 biometric verification devices (BVDs) were ‘auctioned’. And that they ‘found their way’ into a recycling plant.”

This, the EC has refuted, clarifying, “the Electoral Commission never said that it auctioned ONLY ten (10) BVDs.”

According to the Commission, it is a deliberate misrepresentation of its 11-paragraph statement.

“The EC maintains that old and obsolete 2012 equipment was auctioned through legal processes, as was stated in Paragraphs 3 and 4 of the statement. The Commission will in due course release all documentation on the auction to the public,” it added.

Background
The EC released a statement on April 26 after the public got wind of the discovery of ten BVDs at a recycling plant in Madina.

“Upon inspection, they were found to be old and obsolete 2012 BVDs which had been legally auctioned to a recycling company.”

The EC also refuted claims that it was sneaking out thousands of the devices for recycling at a loss to the state.

On the contrary, it stated that the auction was conducted “transparently and all legal” with the proceeds from the auction deposited in the Consolidated Fund.

It explained, “Such statements are not only false but are designed to mislead the public and cause disaffection for the institution and its leadership. 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 the End of Life-meaning they could no longer be serviced as parts for them were no longer available. Indeed, HSB Identification BV, in a letter to the Commission, distanced itself from the planned repairs of the BVRs. Based on these reports and following our experience with the equipment in the 2019 District Level Election (DLE), this Commission in consultation with relevant agencies and in compliance with legal procedures, auctioned the obsolete 2012 equipment.”

Source: Opemsuo