General News of Sunday, 26 January 2020

Source: starrfm.com.gh

We’ve not imported faulty BVDs from Nigeria – EC

EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa

The Electoral Commission has dismissed claims that it has imported some faulty biometric devices from Nigeria.

According to the commission, such suggestions by one Owula Mangortey in an article making rounds on social media, are false and must be ignored.

“The Electoral Commission has noted with concern an article circulating on social media on allegations of the smuggling of faulty Biometric Voter Registration Devices from Nigeria into the country.

“The said article, written by Owula Mangortey purporting to come from Odumase – Dodowa on 25th January 2020, made the following allegations among others; ” That surveillance was mounted on two vehicles carrying 7,000 new Biometric Voter Devices and 2,800 old ones, one of which moved to the Electoral Commission from the Osu Castle at 1.00 am.

“That the faulty BVD’s are intended to be shown to the Committee to enable them know the quality of the used BVDs. • That there is a big question to acquiring new BVDs because there has not been any procurement nor purchasing policies or anything done for such products to be acquired”.

Dismissing the claims, the EC in a statement Sunday said: “The Electoral Commission wishes to caution the general public to be wary of such dangerous elements in society who will stop at nothing to peddle malicious falsehood to misinform Ghanaians, tarnish its reputable image and create needless fear and panic in the country.

“The EC would like to state clearly that the allegations are a figment of the writer’s imagination since it has not imported any such equipment into the country."

"The Commission is by this statement assuring the general public that the allegations stated in the said article are false and must be disregarded. The security agencies are being called upon by the Commission to get to the bottom of this matter”.