Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu has expressed shock at the loud silence of the Minority in Parliament about the scandal that has rocked the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
According to him, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of the Parliament who are quick to organize press conferences o topical issues have turned a deaf ear and a blind eye to the scandal.
The state pensions trust is currently being investigated by the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) for spending $72 million on procuring and installing software and other hardware systems known as the Operational Business Suite (OBS) in a bid to digitize the Trust.
Previous Board Chairman of SSNIT, Kwame Peprah and Prof Joshua Alabi who are members of the NDC have been fingered in the scandal who have mounted a spirited defence for their actions.
Fresh details emerging in the SSNIT OBS saga indicates that the former management of SSNIT ignored legal advice not to backdate the contract which will cause the company to pay a service provider an amount covering 2years of work when in fact they have only worked for only nine months.
By not heeding the advice, SSNIT ended up paying an annual service legal agreement fee of two million dollars for two years when only nine months of service had been provided.
The lawyer in a written opinion described the act as objectionable, unpersuasive and unacceptable.
The immediate past Director General of SSNIT, Ernest Thompson says the company was not obliged to the advice of a member of the legal team. He maintains that the right decisions were made at the time.
But on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem Wednesday, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu could not fathom why the Minority has not spoken about the topical issue which has created a lot of controversy in the country.
He said Parliament will institute an investigation into the SSNIT $72 million software deal in October when the House is in session.
The Majority leader indicated that, the inconsistencies in the amount for the software project demonstrate a lack of professionalism in the use of public funds.
Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu said they hope to unravel the mystery behind the bizarre spending at SSNIT to ensure value for money.
Minority’s loud silence on SSNIT scandal surprising – Majority leader
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