By Mulengera Reporters
On Monday, the NSSF delegation appeared before COSASE to explain themselves about the Amos Nzeyi Temangalo land saga and the governance problems at Uganda Clays which is one of the public listed companies in which the Fund has shares. Of Particular concern was the Shs25bn loan which NSSF advanced to Uganda Clays Ltd.
Bamunanika MP Robert Ssekitoleko of NUP demanded that the NSSF top management also explains itself about claims that some business entities don’t suffer any enforcement consequences even when they breach the rules that require monthly payment of the statutory contributions for and on behalf of their employees.
As the Committee chairperson Nkunyingi Muwadda objected on grounds there was no time to go into such peripheral things, Ssekitoleko claimed that he had it on good authority that NSSF was fearing to collect money from some registered business entities that are eligible to paying because the MD Patrick Ayota fears to step on some toes. He quickly gave the example of Simba Telecom, owned by Kampala businessman Patrick Bitature.
He claimed it was one of the private businesses which ripped off its employees by not paying up the NSSF money for them. He demanded to know why NSSF was conniving with such powerful and politically connected employers to the detriment of the employees.
Nkunyingi Muwadda demanded for proof if he had any and the Bamunanika MP said he had his facts and wasn’t going to be intimidated. He demanded for the platform to make his case, something Muwadda said would only be possible on Monday afternoon when the NSSF team will be returning to the Committee.
There is also a former top official at Parliament whose businesses upcountry have for years not been remitting NSFF money after deducting the same from staff salaries. There is also a former chair of one of the accountability committees who is equally culpable and both of them are from Eastern Uganda where they operate their respective businesses.
One originally belonged to opposition before meeting the President and defecting to NRM. The duo would use the powerful positions they held at Parliament, which they have since lost and thereby increasing vulnerability to enforcement action by NSSF enforcement teams. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
