18 flats for one person - SSNIT sees nothing wrong

The Evening News says at a time when workers in the country have been severely hit by high rents of landlords, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) sees nothing wrong with giving a whole block of 18 flats to an individual.

According to Mr Osei-Bempong, Head of the Public Affairs Department of SSNIT, the sale of a block of 18 flats to Al-Haj Abdallah Ahmed, Managing Director of Progressive and Modern Company Ltd., does not contravene the laws of the Trust that govern the allocation of flats.

At the time of the purchase, Al-Haj Abdallah was the Brong-Ahafo Regioanl Chairman of the National Democratic Congress and he bought the said block for ?608 million ostensibly for his company's staff but was later found to have allocated them to his children.

Mr Bempong said the Trust sells flats to anybody or institution provided they have the money to pay for them.

"That is why we build market places for traders who do not contribute to the fund, because they use their own monies to pay", he said, adding that the structure in question was applied for by Al-Haj Ahmed for his company and staff.

The Evening News says it is difficult to understand how a private organisation had its request to purchase the block granted, when there exists a tall list of applicants within the public service hoping for just one flat to occupy with their families.

The transaction, said to have taken place under former Director General of the Trust, Mr Henry Dei's administration brings to the fore some of the Social injustices that went unchecked, according to the paper.