A Ghanaian researcher based in the United States of America, Kingsley Komla Elikem, has said that he feels sad for the situation in which Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia finds himself because he should not have approved the $2.5million GhanaPost GPS app deal with Vokacom.
Vokacom developed the app to be used for Ghana’s digital addressing system but Mr Elikem argues the technology already existed on Google.
“There are examples in the United States, there are examples in the UK [so you say] I’m going to study what has been done and add on to it, but when you want to be over exuberant by saying things that: ‘damn what the US has done, damn what the UK has done, and we are coming out with something new’, and especially when you are not informed in the area, then you are bringing up too many issues that you yourself will not be able to answer and here it is.
“Unfortunately, I pity Dr Bawumia because I genuinely feel that, maybe he absolutely has no idea about this field, and, so, when the guys came and pitched the idea to him he bought into it but it is unfortunate because this is nothing new,” he said on Monday, October 23 in an interview with Moro Awudu on Class FM’s Executive Breakfast Show.
He added: “We didn’t need Ghana Post GPS. Ghana could have generated the numbers for free on Google. They could have added more to the existing apps available, and there was no reason to have given VOKACOM the same job to do.”
One of the lapses he pointed out was that the GhanaPost GPS app divides Ghana into grids of 5m x 5m, however, a plot of land in Ghana is usually 100ft x 70ft meaning a property on one plot of land will have more than one address.
Some other Information Technology (IT) experts who have reviewed the application available on various mobile operating systems have also given poor ratings of the app.
Below are steps on how to use the Ghana Post GPS
• You can use AsaaseGPS on your computer, phone, or tablet to search, explore, and find your way around Ghana.
• On your computer, open www.asaasegps.com, on your phone or tablet, use the AsaaseGPS app.
• Visit your App store to download the AsaaseGPS App for free from Google Play Store and Apple store for Android and IOS users respectively.
• Once the app is installed, follow the instructions to register, verify and confirm your login details.
• No payment is required to download or use the AsaaseGPS app.
How to verify your address
• Click on the menu button
• A menu will appear with a ‘Verify Your Address’ button
• Click on the button to verify your address
• A pop-up message will ask that you close or continue with the request.
How to generate your address
• Ensure your phones location button is turned on.
• Open the AsaaseGPS app and click on the button
• Your unique address will appear next to the Digital address, for example, Digital Address: GA-543-0125
• The first two alphabets represent the region and district. The 3-digit that comes after the first two alphabets is the postcode the last 4 digits represent the unique property address.
How to contact emergency services using the app
• Click on the emergency button
• Select the service you require i.e. Police Service, Fire Fighter Services or Ambulance Service.
• Type in additional information and click on the ‘Send Location’ button.
Source: classfmonline.com
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According to the IT expert since a plot of land in Ghana is 100ft x 70ft, it implies also that a property covering 2 times a plot, 3 times a plot of land will definitely have multiple addresses. The big question is how we solve this multiple address problem. A choice of scale for assigning an address does not solve the problem. I am sure there are properties on half plots of land. In such a case the dimensions chosen by VOKACOM makes more sense than what this IT expert seeks to use in arguing his case. People should think about how the problem will be solved rather that criticizing without solutions. Note that I do not have a solution myself yet, but I am pointing us to the right direction we have take if this problem needs to be solved.
This expert was called on radio station and was questioned by Ali Dauda and he presented clear facts that this is nothing. He even showed how the codes are generated freely on google and wanted to debate the issue with this company that took 2.5 million dollars for this app and they refused to talk. I believe in coming day you will see the radio recordings and the videos and you will know the truth. It is just sad the way our leaders run this country. Too bad
Mr. IT researcher what APP have you ever bring on board? always talk talk kankama nkoaa.
So we have all these so called IT experts in mother GHANA who couldn't bring this idea on? They have done it bam..if anyone has ideas for improvement let him or her do it or be quite forever! The PHDs in Ghana are many and too know
at times i just get angry when i hear people with no experience and just for the fact that they live in USA come out to speak as if they are the most inteeligent in the world. i wouldnt be surprised if this KOMLA guy washes dishes and cleans toilets in USA
It is not too late to investigate the cost element of the project. I think it is an opportunity for Bawumia to exhibit his sense of competence in this IT issue.
Look guys stop the politics. I am IT person and this app is very amateurish as franklin cudjoe said. Even 1st year CS students could have done this easily for little or no fee. Look all it does different from Google Maps is generate codes based on your coordinates (which is available on Google Maps too). Let us call a spade a spade and stop the politics. This is a bad app.
I can't find any info on Google scholar about this 'renowned expert'. The world's repository of researchers does not know this guy. We call any restaurant cleaning 'burger' who knows how to use MS Word an expert. mtcheeew...let me think!
Don't be surprised, these were the same people led by Osarfo Marfo into a hair dressers saloon in UK for a loan. The call themselves competent people but in reality they know nothing. An app that already exist on google has been sold for 2.5 to the so called competent people. Ghana is drawing backward. too bad for Ghana
Naysayers always want to make noise without concrete recommendation or original author of anything. Please leave VP alone and better do something good for yourself and stop the damn F****in noise.