SSNIT blows $500,000 on dud scanners

It is emerging that, whilst workers have hard times cashing benefits due them from the Social Security & National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) as contributors, with some workers unions questioning calculation formulas, SSNIT found hard currency to make dubious procurements in order to initiate an identification project to align workers contribution and accounts.

A document in the possession of DAYBREAK dated November 14, 2013, and addressed to Chief Executive Officer of Perfect Business Systems & Silverlake Structured Services, reveals that SSNIT purchased 25 pieces Fujitsu brand fi6800 scanners for $20,400 per scanner, totaling $510,000.

Interestingly, before that in August 26, 2013, SSNIT had already been embroiled in a controversial procurement arrangement involving purchase of 50 pieces of HP SCANJET 8270 from the same organization at the cost of $1500 each, totaling $75,000.

DAYBREAK gathered that in the very week that the SCANJET 8270 scanners arrived, 20 were found to be faulty. SSNIT’s Operational Business Suite (OBS) Project Manager, John Hagan Mensah sent the 20 for servicing to the procurement agents. Indeed, for a whole year, DAYBREAK sources revealed that the equipments were left untouched, only to be returned later for SSNIT officials to be told its warranty had expired.

The last time DAYBREAK checked, they had been left to the vagaries of the weather on the SSNIT Tower Block in Accra.

SSNIT’s Operational Business Suite (OBS) Project Manager, John Hagan Mensah is rumoured to be married to the CEO of the procurement agency, Juliet Hassana Kramer – a clear case of cronyism and conflict of interest.