The Public Utility Workers’ Union (PUWU) of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has challenged Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s assertion that ECG IT staff sabotaged the government’s digitalisation of revenue collection with ransomware.
According to PUWU, they are aware of deliberate attempts from stakeholders to give the power distributor, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), a “bad name” in a bid to privatise the company.
Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Bawumia, while speaking at the Annual AGM of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa, disclosed that some personnel within the IT unit of ECG deliberately introduced ransomware to disrupt the functionality of the system.
According to the Vice President, the IT staff at ECG used ransomware to “essentially collapse” payment systems.
“Can you believe that workers within the system sabotaged it? They put ransomware into the whole system. And the system essentially collapsed. We had to send in national security to eventually find that it was some of the staff at the IT department who were culpable,” said Dr. Bawumia.
“So that is now the case. Can you believe that from GHC450 million a month, collections have now gone to over a billion cedis a month.”
However, PUWU has vehemently opposed Dr. Bawumia’s remarks.
“The Union respectfully DISAGREES with the statement of His Excellency the Vice President on his presentation relating to digitalization and sabotaging of the ICT system at ECG.”
In a statement issued on Monday, May 13, PUWU stated, among other things, that stakeholders should refrain from disparaging the work of the company towards national development.
PUWU said, “The commitment of ECG staff particularly ICT professionals, to the company’s digitalization journey remains unwavering. The development and deployment of the power app in 2016 exemplify the dedication to innovation and progress.
READ ALSO:
“ECG staff prioritize initiatives that enhance efficiency and service delivery. The provision of reliable electricity services in Ghana demands immense dedication and sacrifice from ECG staff who works under stressful and hazardous conditions.
“We are fully aware of the several attempts by some key stakeholders to push for the privatization of ECG and the deliberate attempt to give ECG a bad name and hang it.”
“We urge key stakeholders to refrain from disparaging our hardworking members and instead recognize their contributions to national development, in the face of many challenges including the shortage of critical resources for smooth operations,” it said.
Click here to read PUWU’s full statement.
The post We’re aware of deliberate attempts to give ECG a bad name and hang it – PUWU to Bawumia first appeared on 3News.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS