George Atta-Boateng, the former boss of the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) has dismissed the Electoral Commissioner’s excuse that the Electoral Commission (EC) needs a new data centre alongside the new biometric system it is planning to acquire.
However, in s short statement from Mr. Atta-Boateng sighted by Whatsup News, he said the EC does not need a new data centre because what it already has can accommodate whatever plan the EC has for the 2020 elections.
“You don’t need a new Data Center (DC). Ghana has the largest and most secured Tier-3 data centre in West Africa with 600 racks. EC does not need a new DC. whoever ‘warned ‘ you, that EC’s DC will “crash” misled you. Even if it “crashes”, you still have an option. West Africa’s largest DC can be located 800 meters away from your office. If you care to know, it is the property of the Republic of Ghana,” the former NITA boss corrected.
Mid-May 2019, the EC boss, Jean Mensah announced that the election regulator was taking steps to secure its own Information Technology Systems and Biometric Data Centre to manage election results and data.
According to her, the Commission will no longer use STL, an information technology company that has been managing its data after acquiring its own equipment.
According to the EC, the new data centre will enable it to have full control of its systems and reduce the monies being paid to the company to maintain its data.
The Electoral Commission pays US$ 4 annually to STL to manage its data.
This is part of the controversy that has engulfed the EC over plans to recompile the voters register and install a new biometric system with facial recognition features. The current system uses mainly biometric fingerprint system.
Critics have questioned the EC’s rationale for trying to introduce a new system into the electoral management process less than one year to a major general election.
When confronted by Citi TV’s Bernard Avle on Monday to explain the move, a stuttering Deputy EC Commissioner, Dr. Bossman Asare failed woefully to give a satisfactory reason for the introduction of new systems by the EC.