SSNIT Operates without director of finance

For Seven Months Reports from the Social Security and the National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) point to serious financial malpractices that could ground the financial institution if President Mills and his government do not take drastic measures to address the situation by reshuffling the management there.

From our investigations, a lot of the problems bedeviling SSNIT are the result of the administration the NPP government put in place to satisfy its interests rather than the state’s.

It is amazing that SSNIT has for the past seven months operated without a General Manager of Finance, even though the giant financial Institution can boast of more than forty (40) chartered accountants on its payroll, with some of them holding MBA Finance degrees in addition to many years experience. It is interesting to note that Mr. Kwesi Boatin, current Director–General was deliberately appointed by Ex-President Kufour in the last hours of his reign, and he assumed office in January 2009. Prior to his elevation, Mr. Boatin was the General Manager of Finance during the rein of the NPP.

His appointment has been described by most SSNIT staff as a game in making cronies to take over SSNIT. They allege that it is meant to destroy the Institution through shady deals.

Mr. Boatin, knowing very well that there are over 40 well-trained chartered accountants, who have the experience to handle the Institution has refused to pick any of these competent and qualified persons for the position of General Manager of Finance. Instead, he selected his crony, one Mr. Kwabena Osei Boaten, who was the Net Administrator and General Manager, (Management Information Systems - MIS).

The appalling part of this is that Mr. Kwabena Osei Boaten has no knowledge in Financial Management, and is rumored at SSNIT to be incompetent as well as very arrogant.

Most members of staff have lamented that SSNIT controls too much money and that placing Kwabena Osei Boaten, who does not have any accounting background as the General Manager, poses grave danger to the institution, especially when he is even reported to be finding it difficult as the General Manager - MIS. What seems to be the last straw is the information we have that an accounting firm was tasked to hire a General Manager for Finance for SSNIT. The firm has submitted its report, over one month ago, but Ex-President Kufuor’s appointed Director General, Mr. Kwesi Boatin, and his cronies who are allegedly bent on milking workers dry of their social security funds, are sitting the report from the firm. This is seen as an attempt to bypass the firm’s recommendation to bring in another crony.

The problem with this attitude of Mr. Kwesi Boatin is that the dubious appointment of unqualified persons to very sensitive positions at SSNIT has been the trend in the last eight years under the NPP administration.

They have provided records of appointments at SSNIT under the previous regime that depict a certain trend. We have published below these appointments for our readers to look at closely to see how a clique has taken over one of the state’s most viable financial institutions.

• Director General Mr. Kwesi Osei • General Manager, Finance Mr. Kwesi Boatin

• General Manager, MIS Mr. Kwabena Osei-Boaten

• General Manager, Medical Mr. Darius Kofi Osei

• General Manager, Admin/HR Mr. Ohene K. Adu-Bonsra

• General Manager, IDD Mr. Michael Addo (Nephew of former Board Chairman of SSNIT)

• General Manager, Legal Mr. Ernest O. Thompson

• General Manager, Operations Mrs. Gifty Ama Anterkyi

If this trend of appointments at SSNIT is anything to go by under Kufour’s NPP government, then it is rather funny. It is relevant that a searchlight is beamed on the institution by the new government to expose the crooks who may be in place to drain the state and its tax payers.

Meanwhile, workers at SSNIT have warned that Mr. Kwesi Boatin, who they allege has a questionable character and is a known NPP member, is suspected to want to sabotage the government. They are warning him not to try any deceit, because it would be disastrous as they the workers and Ghanaians as a whole are watching with eagle eyes.

Book your copy of the next edition for another mind-blowing scandal at the SSNIT. T