By King Amoah.
An Information Technology Consultant based in Kumasi, Mr. Evans Kyei, has voiced strong criticism against the digitization policy spearheaded by former Vice President Dr. Mahamoud Bawumia under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
While acknowledging the initiative’s potential, Kyei argues that its implementation was flawed and ultimately failed to deliver tangible economic benefits, potentially even hindering progress.
Speaking to the correspondent in an exclusive interview, Mr. Kyei, the Managing Director of Multiminds Technologies Co. Ltd, stated that digitization, when properly applied, can transform economies, particularly in the financial and technical sectors.
However, he claims that in Ghana, the digitization policy served as little more than “lip service” with inadequate attention paid to its actual implementation.
Kyei directly criticized Dr. Bawumia, often touted as a “digitization wizard,” for allegedly failing to engage qualified computer experts to effectively execute his agenda. He suggests that the former Vice President’s focus on his alleged self-promotion led to various errors in the digitization process, creating opportunities for corruption within organizations.
He cited specific examples, including challenges faced by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), passport application issues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, difficulties in acquiring ECOWAS cards from the National Identification Authority (NIA), and problems within the immigration system.
One particularly worrying example highlighted by Kyei was the alleged “naked and shady ghost names deals” discovered at the National Service Scheme (NSS). He pointed out the irony of Dr. Bawumia launching a special anti-corruption digital system at the NSS, only to see thousands of ghost names, leading to significant financial losses for the state, uncovered later, a matter currently under investigation by the current administration.
“Despite the digitization system at the outfit,” Kyei stated, “thousands of ghost names caused financial loss to the state… which is currently under probe by the current administration.”
Kyei believes the policy was fundamentally flawed from its inception, lacking proper oversight and supervision, which ultimately fostered an environment conducive to corruption.
He advised the current administration of President John Dramani Mahama to take immediate steps to rectify these digitization anomalies for the benefit of the country.
He emphasized that technology, particularly through the application of digitization, is a key driver of national development globally.
However, he stressed that technology cannot be effectively utilized without the full commitment and expertise of human beings.
Kyei’s comments raise serious questions about the effectiveness of the previous government’s digitization strategy and call for a comprehensive review to ensure that future initiatives are implemented in a way that truly benefits the Ghanaian economy and its citizens.
