The federation has written to Trade Union Congress and all other members of organised labour, in this regard.

[contextly_sidebar id=”plowTSuCJNwUdTEHJC8dOVENSDCQLYGf”]SSNIT is being investigated by the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) for spending $72 million to procure and install an Operational Business Suite (OBS) in a bid to digitize the Trust.

In an interview with Citi News, the General Secretary of the Ghana Federation of Labour, Abraham Koomson, said pressure from organised labour will move the government to take the needed action to tackle the mismanagement at SSNIT in a transparent manner.

“We cannot, on our own, take decisions that will impact on SSNIT operations that is why we have to involve other colleagues to inform the government about our misgivings.”

“…we would have to make sure we put pressure on the government to make things visible in dealing with the matters that have to do with the mismanagement of  SSNIT, and this cannot be done by only the GFL. We have to consult with our other colleagues to be able to take a stand that will compel the government to sit up and do what is right for the fund,” Mr. Koomson said.

The Federation, in an earlier statement, said this software scandal was only “one of the symptoms of the malaise plaguing SSNIT and rendering the scheme unsustainable.”

The SSNIT Board has contracted PricewaterhouseCoopers to conduct an audit into the bloated OBS contract.

The GFL also raised concerns about some diaries being procured by SSNIT, describing such expenses as “profligate expenditure” and far from SSNIT’s mandate.

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By: Naa Kwarmah/Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post SSNIT scandal: Labor Federation urges unions to mount pressure on gov’t appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Federation in a statement said this scandal was only “one of the symptoms of the malaise plaguing SSNIT and rendering the scheme unsustainable.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”ptWooHyytXknEbYml2rJj6xeu2kq7md7”]The GFL leadership said it shudders at the consequences of the imminent collapse of the scheme, as some industry watchers have warned, and it is “mindful of the serious financial and social crises.”

The SSNIT Board has contracted PricewaterhouseCoopers to conduct an audit into the bloated OBS contract, but the GFL notes that, “even though the management has instituted a forensic audit into SSNIT operations, we observe with disquiet, evidence of profligate expenditure and opulence being displayed again.”

As an example of this profligacy, the Federation cited the advertisement by SSNIT, published in the Ghanaian Times of June 16, 2017, inviting tenders for the supply of luxury executive diaries, luxury desk diaries, deluxe luxury slim pocket diaries, among others, for the year 2018.

It described this development as worrying and said: “these happenings and the philanthropic gesture of SSNIT Management towards non-members of the scheme blatantly defeats the purpose for which the SSNIT was established.”

Findings of 2001 audit

The GFL, in its statement said it had been made aware of a forensic audit of SSNIT operations conducted in 2001.

This audit reportedly revealed “gross mismanagement of the Fund and therefore demand the publication of the report and implementation of the recommendations contained therein,” according to the GFL.

“While awaiting the result of the another inquiry to unearth yet another heinous conspiracy to fleece SSNIT, we demand of government to recognize the ownership of the fund and act to halt the menace in the interest of national security and economic growth,” the Fedaration added.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Scandal proves SSNIT is unsustainable – Labor Federation appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.