During our Secondary School days, some stubborn students used to say that stealing was good unless one was caught. This saying would perfectly explain the mess that has been ongoing at the NSSF fund leading to an investigation by Parliament!
From the ongoing investigations by the Select Committee led by Hon Mwine Mpaka, all we hear is drama after drama in what appears to be a cash bonanza at the NSSF!
The impunity, corruption, illegalities and overall mess of a 17 trillion fund is enough to bring tears to the UGX.1.2 million savers whose retirement benefits are being squandered!
Unfortunately for the Ugandan population especially the savers, it’s business as usual, everyone minding their business and perhaps making and remitting more money to be squandered as usual!
The reason Parliament is investigating the fund is that the scavengers or call them vultures had a fight on how to share their carcass, hence attracting the unnecessary public attention. Had they agreed on how to share the loot, there would be no dust and business would be normal!
Today you hear that over 100 staff splashed billions in an outing in Dubai to enjoy themselves courtesy of savers money!
On another day you hear that Board Members shared among themselves 1.8 billon in order to re-appoint Richard Byarugaba as the Managing Director (Damaging Director) despite his two terms having expired! What a facede that one preparing other people’s retirement is not willing to retire unless he is forced to!
Then you hear that the Minister of Gender, Labor and Social Development Betty Amongi wanted UGX.6 billon from the fund to wet her beak under the guise of mobilization. A Minister whose role is to oversee operations of the fund turning herself into an implementer talk of a head of a family going to the kitchen to cook!
Then you hear of a so-called whistleblower pretending to be patriotic, but when in actual sense he is a mercenary hired by the Minister to fight political wars!
Then you hear that UGX 3bn was allocated to procure smart cards which to date are no where and the Damaging Director smarty calls it a “bad deal”!.
Then you hear that UGX.11bn was loaned to Uganda Clays ten years ago and to-date not even a coin has been refunded, and the fund manager says “it was a business poorly planned & executed”! Imagine the arrogance!
As if that is not enough you hear of 29bn was given to housing Bank but the details of this loan are scanty to know whether workers aren’t loosing more money!
Then you hear that over 140bn of workers money has been on dormant accounts, with allegations that some people quietly access it illegally!
Then you hear that Hon Lyomoki & his alleged “girlfriend” nominated themselves to the Board of NSSF as representatives of COFTU one of the trade Unions, and you wonder how the Union leaders kept mute on such impunity!
The mess is too much, beyond what I can write but let it be any way! If the workers are in their comfort zone, and they have no will to defend their money, what do you expect? Amidst all these investigations, I didn’t hear any complaint from workers, I didn’t hear them demand for resignations or prosecution of the perpetrators. They are not bothered at all and they want someone else to fight for them!
I have never saved with NSSF and so I don’t have even a shilling in the NSSF, if the workers are not bothered, let the money be stolen!
If as a country we have decided that everyone should live or work for himself and God for us all, who am I to lament that workers savings are being stolen, yet the owners are in slumber?
To whoever is managing NSSF funds, kindly steal as more money as you can, after all the owners are not complaining!
Muhimbise George, muhimbiseg@gmail.com,0787836515, The Author is a member of Alliance for National Transformation
