ECG workers rubbish Bawumia's 'ransomware attack' claim

The Public Utilities Workers Union (PUWU) of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has challenged Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia's assertion regarding the sabotage of the government's digital revenue collection system by officials of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

Dr. Bawumia, speaking at the Annual AGM of Anti-corruption Agencies in Africa on May 9, alleged that some staff at the IT unit of the ECG introduced ransomware to disrupt the system from functioning, necessitating national security intervention to identify the culprits.

However, in a statement issued on Monday, May 13, PUWU describes the Vice President's claims as "inaccurate and misleading."

The Union expressed disappointment over Dr. Bawumia's claim that ECG staff deliberately sabotaged the system.

PUWU highlighted that in September 2022, the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) initiated a forensic audit on the ECG Power App, engaging third-party IT professionals for the task.

Regarding the ransomware attacks, PUWU clarified that the first incident on September 28, 2022, was promptly reported to the Cyber Security Authority, and the National Security assumed control of ECG's ICT system afterward.

The Union emphasized that during the subsequent attack on November 11, 2022, National Security personnel had full access and administrative rights to all ECG systems. Despite this, ECG ICT staff played a crucial role in system recovery efforts, working tirelessly to restore operations.

PUWU emphasized, "It is therefore factually inaccurate that National Security came in to recover the system, as reported by His Excellency the Vice President."