$66m software investment without blemish – Ex-SSNIT boss

The Director-General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Ernest Thompson, has said there is nothing wrong with the $66million software contract approved by the previous board.

The Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) is currently investigating five former officials of SSNIT in connection with alleged financial malfeasance relating to the procurement of the BOS software by SSNIT.

According to current Board Chairman of SSNIT, Kwame Addo Kufuor, some 15 more officers have also been invited to assist in investigating corrupt activities at the pension scheme.

Mr Kufuor, who did not provide details of the exact nature of the investigation, made this known at the signing of an audit agreement between the pension scheme and PricewaterhouseCoopers to review the financial records of the Trust in Accra on Tuesday, 22 August 2017.

“From my conversations, five people are being investigated and about 15 have been called as witnesses, but five are being investigated,” he stated.

The software was to help in networking all branches of SSNIT across the country to enable them receive real-time data directly from the headquarters in Accra and enhance efficiency.

But Mr Thompson told Accra-Based Joy FM on Wednesday that: “Seriously speaking, it is not a very simple software.

“We are able to identify contributors at a click of a button and we are able to pay benefits in no time, and we are also able to validate contribution reports online for payment on the SSNIT portal.”

He added: “In fact, I didn’t find anything wrong with it and the new board did not find anything wrong with it.”