The Civil Society Network of Liberia (CSNL) has expressed disdain and dislike over allegations emanating from some media outlets and the Public Procurement & Concession Commission (PPCC) wherein they accused the National Elections Commission (NEC) of by-passing the Public Procurement & Concession Commission (PPCC) in awarding a contract amounting to US$182,320.00 to a company that has link with the Chairperson of the NEC.
Specifically, the media accused the NEC of awarding a contract to a company owned by relatives of the Chairperson of the National Elections Commission for the provision of verification system. This purported accusation has led the Liberia Anti- Corruption Commission (LACC) to place the entire Board of commissioners of the National Elections Commission (NEC) under investigation.
“Having critically followed this issue, compounded with a full scale investigation conducted by the Civil Society Network of Liberia, the allegation levied against the National Elections Commission (NEC) is false, misleading and a calculated attempt by certain media practitioners under the disguise of politicians, being embraced by the LACC, to bring commissioners of the electoral body into public disrepute. We wish to clearly state that, contrary to publication from these media outlets, the National Elections Commission (NEC) followed all of the provisions laid down into the PPCC Act of 2010, relating to the awarding of contracts. The truth is, a bidding process was conducted by the National Elections Commission (NEC) for the procurement of electronic Verification System. The bidding process conducted by the NEC, copies of minutes of proceedings in the possession of the Civil Society Network of Liberia, shows that the NEC selected Tuma Enterprises as the most responsive and prepared entity to provide the electronic System,” the Civil Society Network of Liberia said in a press release.
“Furthermore, it is important to stress that the company, Tuma Enterprises, was selected upon the completion of all procurement processes laid down in the PPCC Act of 2010. This company is an internationally accepted business with branches in three African Countries: Sierra Leone, Ghana and Liberia, with partners in Japan. Let it be made categorically clear that Commissioner Floyd Oxley Saryor has no link to Tuma Enterprises, as alleged from the beginning. What is even more baffling is the accusation that the company is no longer linked to Commissioner Sayor, but it is owned by the brother of Madam Davidetta Lanssanah, Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC). The fact is, our investigation established that Mr. Arnold Badio, who owns Tuma Enterprises, has no relations with Cllr. Davidetta Lanssanah. The contract was awarded purely based on a competitive bidding process. What is being misconstrued that the verification systems procured by the NEC is far below the cost is untrue and just a mere propaganda spewed out of ignorance. The verification system obtained by the NEC is a high-class modern electronic system procured from Japan, with the capacity to monitor poll workers during training processes and all other occurrences during the periods of polling,” the civil society group maintained.
“Instead of the media and the LACC giving credence to unsubstantiated allegations against the National Elections Commission (NEC), we urge them to be appreciative and grateful that the use of such device in our electoral process is historic and unprecedented, as proved in the just-ended four bi-elections in district #1, Bomi County; district #2, Bong County; district #1, Nimba County and district #1, Grand Gedeh County. Therefore, the Civil Society Network of Liberia calls on the Liberian populace not to give credence to a few detractors against the major reforms being instituted by the current Board of Commissioners of the National Elections Commission (NEC).”