The Director-General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Ernest Thompson, has been relieved of his post.
DAILY GUIDE’s sources said the sacking of the SSNIT boss was communicated to him on Monday.
According to sources, Mr Thompson’s dismissal was greeted with excitement by the staff who were of the view that SSNIT was run down under the outgoing Director General, with most of its priced assets, including banks, being disposed of.
The staff also accused Mr Thompson of showing nepotism in employment, as well as promotions, saying some of them had been on one grade for more than eight years.
A member of the Appointments Committee of Parliament and Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia South, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, at the committee’s sitting last Friday, made a startling revelation about the rot at SSNIT which he said had happened with alleged endorsement of its Board of Directors.
The outgoing SSNIT board is reported to have given approval for the Trust to put a number of its expensive management residential facilities in Accra for sale.
The buildings, including six residential properties and two guest houses, are located in plush areas like North Ridge, Cantonments and Airport Residential Area – all in Accra.
But there are concerns that the state facilities will be sold at very cheap rates to cronies.
The decision is raising public concerns because some observers believe that SSNIT needed to protect the properties and not dispose of them. Others claim the powerful management members and the board will turn around to buy the said properties for peanuts.
Currently, an inspection report of the state of the buildings has already been given to the management by an ad hoc committee the SSNIT Board set up and a memo has been issued by the company secretary, giving details of the report.
The memo, which was signed on Friday, January 6, 2017 – the eve of the inauguration of President Akufo-Addo – and copied to the SSNIT Director General – indicates that the board had considered the report of the ad hoc committee.
“At its 300th meeting held on 5th January, 2017, the Board considered a report by the ad hoc committee of the Board which undertook an inspection tour of some of the Trust’s Management residences at North Ridge, Cantonments and Airport Residential Area in Accra,” the memo signed by Mrs. Gifty J. Annan, company secretary said.
According to the memo, the designated Director General’s residence was not included in the decision of the Board.
The document, sighted by DAILY GUIDE, gave vivid descriptions of the facilities located on 0.74, 0.11 and 0.35 acres of land that were to be sold.
Ms Gifty Annan indicated that first is a two-storey main building with a detached outhouse, launderette, garage and security post and that the main building provides accommodation for a living/dining, bedrooms, kitchen, store, sanitary and circulatory areas at North Ridge House No 7.
The remark of the committee approved by the Board said, “The property was recently renovated to be maintained as Director General’s residence.”
Also, there is a two-storey main building with a detached outhouse, boys quarters and security post where the main building provides accommodation for a living/dining, bedrooms, kitchen, store, sanitary and circulatory areas at No. 58 Ridge.
The document said the property was previously used as an executive guest house being occupied by Mr Thompson.
The committee said the facility was “fairly renovated to be sold.”
The memo described another facility as a two-storey main building with a detached outhouse and security post located at No. 58A, North Ridge, adding, “The property has similar designs as the one described above and was occupied by a former Director General.”
It said the board had approved the facility to be sold because it’s in a poor state.
Another two-storey semi-detached main building with an outhouse providing accommodation for a living/dining, bedrooms, kitchen and sanitary areas located at No. 17, Cantonments, has been listed to be sold while five other 2-storey semi-detached main buildings – all with outhouses located at Nos. 18, 20, 21, 22 and 24 in Cantonments – are also being sold.
The committee remarked, “The limited plot size hampers its potential for redevelopment into a modern residence for optimal returns, and therefore, they are to be sold.”
According to the memo, there is another 2-storey main building with an outhouse and a detached garage on a 0.35-acre land at Airport Residential Area; and the committee recommended that “The property should be demolished and redeveloped into a modern apartment to generate optimal returns.”
The memo said the management was going to engage “Architectural and Engineering Service Limited to value the properties to be disposed of and revert to the Board.”
It also asserted, “The sale is to be advertised and bidders should be required to submit bid bonds as was done in the case of the disposal of the Wa and Bolgatanga properties,” adding that “due process should be followed accordingly.”
SSNIT on January 13, 2017 issued another memo signed by Gabriel N.O. Sackey requesting for “the necessary title documents on the properties to enable us engage Messrs AESL to determine the market values of same.”
Source: Daily Guide
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this man is a disgrace paaaa
As for the rot it is indescribable before President Kuffour did thrarationalization and brought in Teir 2 and 3 and cut the 18.5 going to SSNIT to 11 . We are seeing the fruit of that and the transformation to come after 2020 when everybody can choose where to put your money.
Addo Dankwah the commander in chief! Leave a good legacy when you leave office. Don't be like TRUMP. If you do it will come back to bite your party when you're dead & gone. This sins of yesteryears still stands. Including all late presidents.Take precaution which sacking CEO to disgrace them & their family. Do it in a more professional way.Example they can proceed on indefinite leave whiles pending investigation.
DO YOU KNOW THE FAMILY THAT ERNEST COMES FROM? OR YOU PEOPLE THAT EVERYBODY WHO GETS A POSITION IS POOR. HOW LONG HAS ERNEST WORKED IN SSNIT? THIS NOT A POLITICAL APPOINTMENT. HE EARNED IT AND HE IS QUALIFIED. HE ILL BE FINE WAI. PEOPLE WHO DONT EVEN HAVE CLASSMATES OR UNDERSTAND HOW SSNIT WORKS CAN INSULT HIM. BRING THE PERFECT PERSONT TO DO THE JOB AND YOU WILL SEE
NANA ADDO PLEASE FREEZE ALL THE ASSET OF ERNEST THOMPSON AND HIS MANAGEMENT TEAM. THEY HAVE BOTH ASSET HERE IN GHANA AND ABROAD. WE SHALL NEVER FORGIVE NANA ADDO IF HE DOES NOT ARREST ALL THESE TOP GUYS AT SSNIT.
Massa; this krooked and a stiller Thompson guy should be arrested; interrogated and his passport seized just like Opuni at the Cocoa Board; this guy is a swindler and have been involved in massive deals and robbed Ghana of her assets and should not be allowed to get away !!!!!!; there was and are serious 'KULULU' at SSNIT which Nana Addo should investigate PRONTO !!!!!!because this is our last chance for Nana Addo to really take on these so called Kriminal public officials whose aims and intentions of going into public service is to still from Ghanaians and NOT TO SERVE GHANA !!!!!!; Ghanaians last chance is Nana Addo to clean the house again ;this time with no guns like JJ Rawlings who came to dupe and still from Ghanaians ; this time using the law to jail these KRIMINALS and stillers like this rogue Thompson !!!!!: NANA ADDO SHOULD ACT PRONTO LIKE DONALD TRUMP IMMEDIATELY -NO MESSING ABOUT THIS TIME !!!!!!!!; WE NEED TO DEAL WITH THESE NDC KROOKS NOW !!!!!!
Ah! Now, workers money will have a respite
He( Ernest Thompson) and his CREATE,LOOT and SHARE management sold Merchant Bank to Ibrahim Mahama and Co. and that of Trust Bank to Eco. Bank because of the bad advise given to him by FIIFI KWETEY and his BOSS. All those deals smell gargantuan Corruption and those involved must be prosecuted. Ernest Thompson and his squad looted the country purse without thinking good for the ordinary worker who suffer seriously when they are on retirement. President Akuffo Addo the Special Prosecutor Office is delaying we need that office to Operate as soon as Possible.
As for the rot in SSNIT is too much ooo. This guy and his entire management team should be forensically investigated. THE ROT IS TOO MUCH IN SSNIT!!!!