Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement
ADVERTISEMENT
Netbuzz Africa
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Terms
Thursday, March 4, 2021
  • Login
  • Register
Advertisement
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Home
  • News
    • Africa
      • West Africa
      • East & Central Africa
      • North Africa
      • Southern Africa
    • Business
    • International
    • Politics
    • Sports
  • Entertainment
    • Showbiz
    • Movie
    • Events
    • Reviews
    • Weird
  • Tech
    • Apps & News
    • Auto
    • Future & Startups
  • Lifestyle
    • Design
    • Food
    • Health
    • Fashion
    • People & Culture
    • Travel
  • Live Radio
  • Explore Africa
  • COVID-19
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Africa
      • West Africa
      • East & Central Africa
      • North Africa
      • Southern Africa
    • Business
    • International
    • Politics
    • Sports
  • Entertainment
    • Showbiz
    • Movie
    • Events
    • Reviews
    • Weird
  • Tech
    • Apps & News
    • Auto
    • Future & Startups
  • Lifestyle
    • Design
    • Food
    • Health
    • Fashion
    • People & Culture
    • Travel
  • Live Radio
  • Explore Africa
  • COVID-19
No Result
View All Result
Netbuzz Africa
No Result
View All Result
Home News Politics

More names pop up in SSNIT scandal

by Samcilla Baakojr
August 30, 2017 - Updated on January 21, 2021
in Politics, West Africa
Reading Time: 3min read
A A
0

Some of the faces behind the $72 million Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) scandal that has set tongues wagging are beginning to unravel.

More names pop up in SSNIT scandalIn what can be seen as a clear case of conflict of interest, a source has told DAILY GUIDE that the head of the troubled biometric project dubbed, Operation Business Suite (OBS) at SSNIT is allegedly in a relationship with the vendor whose company was contracted to install the OBS software.

ReadMore

No tears: Senegalese President Macky gets Covid-19 vaccine jab

Adebayor reunites with Funny Face at Accra Psychiatric Hospital

Afia Akoto unhappy with Gabby Otchere-Darko’s LGBTQI comments

Africa’s first green commerce marketplace info session goes live on zoom

The contract was awarded to Perfect Business System/ Silver Lake Consortium in 2011 during the Mills/Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration at an initial bidding cost of $27,610,791, but by 2016 the total cost had ballooned to $66 million and now $72 million, although the installed OBS software is not running as expected.

The company was one of the highest bidders but SSNIT settled on it, looking down on lower bidders with potential value for money indicators.

Key figures

The head of the OBS project is John Hagan Mensah, a confidant of the immediate past SSNIT Director-General, Ernest Thompson, who is said to be very close to Juliet Kramah, CEO of Perfect Business System.

Unconfirmed sources believe that the Perfect Business System boss has strong links with the powerful former first family, and it is alleged that invoices emanating from the private firm appeared to have gone through without any serious queries at the Trust.

Last gap payments

According to the sources, on December 9, last year, Mr Ernest Thompson allegedly ordered the payment of $9 million to Perfect Business Systems after the NDC had lost the election in 2016 and was on its way out of power.

SSNIT allegedly agreed to pay $4 per card that was to be issued to pensioners in the contract but the amount increased miraculously to $7 and the Trust ended up paying the private company $7.1 million for one million cards.

According to sources, the whole project was not based on SSNIT’s requirement and that the vendor reportedly came in with an already prepared provident fund system in order to modify it for SSNIT – which runs social security.

Fund modification

The provident fund modification was not SSNIT’s idea but the decision of the project manager and the private firm.

The sources said when SSNIT requested for thumbprint devices that could scan all the 10 fingers at once, the vendor provided single-finger devices and therefore, a contributor registering needed to put the fingers on the device one at a time, thereby wasting productive hours.

“When staff complained, it was never provided. Meanwhile, SSNIT paid for the 10 devices at a whopping cost,” source intimated.

Batch system

The source said the vendor could not provide the OBS software but rather brought a batch system where a client could only see his/her data reflecting after a day, saying “SSNIT staff cannot work 24 hours because every staff is asked to sign out of the system after 5pm else the whole SSNIT or that SSNIT branch cannot work the following day.”

There were several outstanding issues, according to the source, that needed to be sorted out regarding the OBS project; and anytime the company was asked to correct a defect it allegedly asked the Trust to pay hefty bills.

The source said SSNIT caused the transfer of qualified staff who had deep insight into the OBS project and brought in the Director-General’s alleged lackeys, including the head of IT, Caleb K. Afaglo – who has been caught allegedly using fake degree.

Inflated cost

Already, details have emerged about how officials of SSNIT inflated prices in the contracts for the automation of the Trust’s systems; the total sum of which is now hovering around $72 million.

It turned out that SSNIT paid a whopping $500,000 for a product that costs $16,000 on the world market.

Crazy deal

Bright B. Simons, the Director of Development Research at IMANI-Ghana, a think-tank, and Coordinator of the mPedigree Network, has described the massive over-pricing as ‘crazy deal.’

He said simple checks of an IBM hardware sold on the market for $16,000 was bought for more than $500,000.

“They want us to believe that they bought it for more than $500,000. Are you crazy? We don’t lie about stuff like that…it is a catalogue matter,” he said on Joy FM in Accra

Legal objection

It even emerged that SSNIT’s Senior Corporate Law Officer, Jaezel Orleans-Lindsay, wrote to warn the Trust’s management against certain aspect of the contract that was being exploited by the private company.

“What it means is that SSNIT will have to pay the annual SLA fee of $2,000,000. Immediately upon signing the agreement (to cover for September 2104 to September 2015) and pay another $2,000,000 in September this year – when in effect it would have just received 9 months of service under the SLA instead of the contractual 2 years. This is objectionable!” the lawyer said in a letter to his bosses on January 16, 2016.

Samcilla/BjrliveFM.com/300817/DailyGuide

Tags: Social Security and National Insurance TrustSSNIT

Get real time update about this post categories directly on your device, subscribe now.

Unsubscribe
Previous Post

Ekow Micah is suffering from ‘Kpokpobleble’ – Kumchacha

Next Post

GCB Bank donates GH¢100,000 to Sierra Leone disaster victims

RelatedNews

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene
International

US House removes Marjorie Taylor Greene from all committees

by Staff Writer
February 5, 2021
0

...

Bobi Wine
East & Central Africa

Bobi Wine say 3,000 of his supporters seized since November

by Staff Writer
February 4, 2021
0

...

underage voters

Tackling menace of underage voters in Kano State

January 31, 2021
latest ghana news

12 Nigeriens refused entry into Ghana

January 31, 2021 - Updated on February 5, 2021
Next Post

GCB Bank donates GH¢100,000 to Sierra Leone disaster victims

Wisa to file submission of no case

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

NETBUZZ RADIOLIVE STREAMING

Stream Netbuzz Radio Live! Netbuzz Radio▷ #NowPlaying | CLICK TO LISTEN
    Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement
    ADVERTISEMENT
    Currently Playing

    Covid-19 Management: Ekiti State in Nigeria Sets the Pace

    Covid-19 Ekiti State

    Covid-19 Management: Ekiti State in Nigeria Sets the Pace

    Special Reports
    Yinka Fabayo Genesis Art Gallery Nigeria

    A Day With Yinka Fabayo of Genesis Art Gallery, Nigeria

    Explore Africa
    Citizen Watch: Can police brutality ever end in Nigeria?

    Citizen Watch: Can police brutality ever end in Nigeria?

    Special Reports
    End SARS Protest: Youths on Edge Demands Better From Govt

    End SARS Protest: Youths on Edge, Demands Better From Govt

    Special Reports
    Nigeria’s Elites Killed By COVID-19

    WATCH: Trapped by Coronavirus, Nigeria’s Elites Killed By COVID-19

    COVID-19

    NEWS HEADLINES

    President Macky

    No tears: Senegalese President Macky gets Covid-19 vaccine jab

    February 26, 2021
    Funny Face

    Adebayor reunites with Funny Face at Accra Psychiatric Hospital

    February 26, 2021
    LGBTQI comments

    Afia Akoto unhappy with Gabby Otchere-Darko’s LGBTQI comments

    February 26, 2021
    Ghana Banks

    Ghana Banks reject voters, national identification card for transactions

    February 26, 2021
    COVAX vaccine

    Ghana becomes recipient of historic first shipment of COVAX vaccine

    February 24, 2021 - Updated on February 26, 2021
    Circular Place

    Africa’s first green commerce marketplace info session goes live on zoom

    February 17, 2021
    Funny Face

    Funny Face blames Ghana Police for utilizing extreme power in his arrest

    February 10, 2021
    Dr Bolu

    Africa’s Rolls Royce Collector Dr Bolu Laid to Rest

    February 10, 2021
    Kwame A-Plus

    A-Plus: I was too ‘broke’ to marry Tracey Boakye

    February 10, 2021
    Funny Face

    Video: Ghana Police Arrest Comedian Funny Face

    February 10, 2021
    Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement
    ADVERTISEMENT
    Netbuzz Africa

    © 2021 Netbuzz Africa Network - All Rights Reserved.

    Navigate Site

    • About
    • Netbuzz Radio
    • Advertise
    • Contact
    • Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms

    Follow Us

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Home
    • Live Radio
    • News
      • Africa
        • North Africa
        • West Africa
        • East & Central Africa
        • Southern Africa
      • Business
      • International
      • Politics
      • Special Reports
      • Sports
    • Music News
    • Entertainment
      • Events
      • Movie
      • Reviews
      • Showbiz
      • Weird
    • Lifestyle
      • COVID-19
      • Design
      • Fashion
      • Food
      • Health
      • People and Culture
      • Travel
      • Explore Africa
    • Tech
      • Apps & News
      • Auto
      • Future & Startups

    © 2021 Netbuzz Africa Network - All Rights Reserved.

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password? Sign Up

    Create New Account!

    Fill the forms below to register

    All fields are required. Log In

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In

    Add New Playlist

    Go to mobile version