Workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) have strongly disputed accusations of sabotage and questioned revenue increase claims made by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
According to the Public Utilities Workers Union (PUWU) of the Trades Union Congress (Ghana), the ICT department of ECG initiated digitalization efforts as early as July 2016, with the rollout of the ECG Power App and USSD services.
They clarified that Dr. Bawumia was invited as a guest of honour for the launch of the ECG Power App in February 2020.
The workers asserted that allegations of sabotage regarding ransomware attacks were unfounded, attributing the attacks to an international cybercriminal group.
They highlighted their proactive role in recovering systems during these attacks, working tirelessly alongside the National Security and Cyber Security firm E-crime Bureau.
“The first ransomware attack occurred on September 28, 2022, which took a wide scope prompting the need to report the incident to the Cyber Security Authority, as required by regulation. The National Security thereafter took over the ECG ICT system as the attack was seen as a threat to national security.
In the midst of the takeover, the second and most severe of the ransomware attacks occurred on the 11th of November 2022, at the time the National Security personnel had both full physical access and software administrative rights to all ECG systems. The National Security arrested and detained some ECG ICT staff for days but were later released” A statement by the Workers Union said.
Disputing Dr. Bawumia’s claims of a significant revenue increase post-digitalization, the workers cited public records from ECG’s 2019 Annual Report, indicating a marginal rise in average monthly revenue.
They emphasized the commitment of ECG staff to improving services and revenue mobilization.
Moreover, the workers expressed concerns about the security implications of sharing source code with external parties, raising questions about the compromise of ECG’s network security.
In conclusion, the workers urged stakeholders to refrain from disparaging their hardworking members and recognized their contributions to national development amidst challenges, including attempts to privatize ECG.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
