What are the credibility and protective security measures of our Centralized Electoral College system database which is being used annually, in collation and collection of votes being transferred from constituencies to our national Electoral Commission Centre, after citizens have exercised their legitimate franchise during elections?
If I may ask, does Ghana owns a Centralized Database Network/ system? If yes who manages it?
And under whose care is it annually upgraded? It seems almost all our governmental institutions depend on this unknown database system to enable them to run their day to day duties effectively to Ghanaians.
1. Ghana Immigration Service
2. Registrar-General’s Department
3. The Electoral Commission of Ghana
4. Births and Deaths Registry
5. Driver and Vehicle Licensing authority…
To mention these few.
Most at times officers who are in charge of these institutions give excuses to citizens who apply within the frame of time given for certain certification to be issued for them for their personal use either for travelling (Passports), driving License, company registration certificates, birth certificates which are supposed to be an ordinary requirement for every citizen to acquire becomes a problem all in the name of either the machines not working or network interruption.
Making citizens join long queues for days, weeks and even some months before getting their documents.
Let’s not forget that, if truly Ghana hasn’t gotten its own Centralized Database Systems and software for upgrades, then am afraid to say that Ghana is not under any secured security protection, even when it comes to the transfer of funds from Ghana to another country.
Not to talk of the new E-levy policy being introduced by the government which has become a national issue in parliament.
Why should a government impose an E-levy policy on Ghanaians knowing very well that Ghana does not have her own Centralized Database System built adequately for the collection of information (data) on the people?
As this database will go a long way to help in making other government policies especially on taxes and revenue generation.
Let’s cast a clear view on the Sim Re-registration exercise which is still ongoing under bizarre circumstances.
People cuing for long hours without being attended to. Not that alone, the Ghana Registration is also another herculean task.
People spend long hours in cues. Making us lose a lot of productive hours.
All these instances make the importance of a Centralized Database system. There wouldn’t be the need for all these wastage.
Corruption is an area which has eaten into the very fabric of society. Every incoming government has a policy on fighting corruption. But let’s be sincere to ourselves, how many people has the state prosecuted for being corrupt?
Every year the Auditor-General publishes report on government institutions spending and misappropriation of public funds but nothing is done to them, they just walk away free, after ‘stealing’ all these monies belonging to the state. Let’s be sincere for once as a country, looking at the number of reports published by the auditor general every year on stealing and misappropriation as compared to persons who have been prosecuted, does it tally, no?
A typical example of a country with a comprehensive Centralized Database of Government Financial transactions is Indonesia. It has helped the government track all spending in real time and managed their budget and has improved accountability as well. With the Centralized database system the country is able to share information with ease, which will definitely transcends into improved overall governance. Why can’t Ghana do same?
What happened to the sale of Ghana telecom, was there any auditor-general’s report on that? What about the sale of Ghana airways, was there any auditor-general’s report written and made publicly?
I can go on and on with these reports.
This gives me the reason behind the attitude of the IMF and the World Bank in controlling Ghana’s economy under their own terms and conditions.
I believe there should be in place a whole IT institution built in Ghana to train young citizens to become IT experts and software developers which government can create employment to use them build a well-equipped structured centralized database systems and software for the country.
Source: Nana Kweku Ofori Atta (The writer is the CEO of Avcontech Security Consult)
