Previous board approved SSNIT’s $66m software deal – Prof. Alabi

Prof. Alabi

A former board Chairman of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) Professor Joshua Alabi has distanced himself from the contract that procured a $66 million software for the Trust.

The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) is currently investigating five officials of SSNIT for their alleged involvement in the acquisition of a OBS software.

Reports say the software was to network all branches of SSNIT across the country to enable them to receive real time data directly to the headquarters in Accra and enhance efficiency.

Speaking to Citi News on the development Prof. Alabi said his board queried the contract when their attention was drawn to it.

He said “what really happened was that…management went beyond the approved figure and brought it to the board for ratification and we queried it and this is in the minutes.”

“It was awarded before my board. The management went beyond the contract sum without recourse to the board; they came to the board for ratification and queried it. But then I really want to believe that the previous board really took into consideration the operations of SSNIT before awarding that contract. The management also explained to the board that there was some unforeseen expenditure that occurred and that is why they went beyond their contract sum but then we queried it because we said they should have brought it to the board for discussion and approval before awarding it,” Prof. Alabi added.

5 under investigation 

About 5 people are currently being investigated by the EOCO for their involvement in the acquisition of the software.

The Director General, Finance, Administration and MIS at SSNIT, Mr. Michael Addo explained that investigations would throw more light into the purchase of the software.

“SSNIT acquired a new operating system called OBS; it is designed to improve SSNIT’s operating processes, to make if fast so that we can all network before then we had a hot spot of different systems that we were using. We did spend quite a little bit of money on that to acquire the software and the hardware,” he said.

The previous board which steered the affairs of SSNIT from 2009 to 2013 was chaired by Mr. Kwame Peprah and had members including:

Mr. Peter Kofi Otoo Addo (Government Nominee) – Member
Mrs. Sati Ocran (Government Nominee) – Member
Hon. Fifi Kwetey (Rep. of Ministry of Finance & Economic Planning) – Member
Nana Fredua Agyeman Pambuo 1/Mr Terence Ronald Darko (Rep. of Ghana Employers’ Association) – Member
Mr. Theodore Gyau (Rep. of Ghana Employers’ Asociation) – Member
Mr. Kofi Asamoah (Rep. of Organised Labour) – Member
Mr. Abraham Tetteh Dian Okine (Rep.of Organised Labour) – Member
Mr. Kwame Amo-Dako (Rep. of Organised Labour) – Member
Mr. Robertson Nii Akwei Allotey (Rep. of Organised Labour) – Member
Lt. Col. Jacob Hester Blood-Dzraku (Rtd.) (Rep. of Security Services) – Member
Mr. Solomon Laryea Tawiah Yemoson/ Mr Theodore Nee Okpey (Rep. of Nat. Pensioners’ Assoc.) – Member
Mr. Kwasi Boatin/Dr Frank Odoom (Director General, SSNIT) – Member
Mrs. Gifty J. Annan (Company Secretary) – Secretary