Davidetta Brown-Lansanah, Chairperson, National Elections Commission (NEC)
LIBERIA – The Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC), Davidetta Brown-Lansanah in a Press conference yesterday, October 25, 2022, at the NEC’s headquarters, expressed more interest in Ekemp and overly justified by citing reasons why Ekemp is best suited to be awarded Liberia’s first biometric cards for the 2023 elections; despite the failure of the company’s equipment to print in time.
The Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) has recently rejected EKEMP and communicated to the NEC to promptly review the remaining bidders, to select a company that would ably conduct Liberia’s Biometric Voter’s Registration Process.
It can be recalled on October 7, 2022, during the Redemonstration/Re-evaluation, Ekemp “poorly performed” by reportedly failing to print a biometric card on the spot and within the allotted time, which was also a major requirement to be awarded this sensitive biometric voter’s registration contract.
Members of the National Elections Commission (NEC) Bid Evaluation Committee, international partners and others were very shocked to see NEC’s preferred company’s failure to prove an accurate demonstration to be awarded the biometric contract during the most recent reevaluation and demonstration exercise.
Journalists who witnessed the demonstration process said, Ekemp did not show proven experience to print a PVC card on demand and in the specified time, in the presence of a five-member bid evaluation committee to justify why the biometric voter’s registration cards contract should be given to Ekemp.
Ekemp was heavily criticized by the public and a few competitors for its inability to professionally performed, following Cllr. Davidetta Brown Lansanah’s assurance provided to the Liberian Senate that Ekemp has experience in biometric voter’s card production, and supply and has the financial power to prefinance.
Ekemp is on record for blaming NEC’s procurement evaluation panel for the company’s inability to print biometric cards on the spot and identify multiple voter registrations when it was observed that they (EKEMP) were unable to print on the spot and in the time specified.
This is not the first time the NEC under the leadership of Madam Davidetta Brown-Lansanah has been involved in a mal procurement saga. In November 2021, the NEC Chairperson came under huge criticism and public outcry for awarding USD$182,320 for the renting of 20 facial recognition thermometers contract to Tuma Enterprise, whose owners are reported to be brothers of the NEC Chairperson.
