The current National Social Security Fund (NSSF) act which allows the Minister for Finance to appoint the Fund’s board could be the cause of potential clashes among employees. This is according to an analyst who asked to remain anonymous while commenting on the recent firing of the NSSF Deputy Managing Director Geraldine Ssali by the Fund’s board. The analyst believes there are legal gaps that could have led to Ssali’s insubordination thinking she was not accountable to the Managing Director (MD) Richard Byarugaba.
“The law needs to be revised to allow the board to appoint both the MD and the Deputy Managing Director (DMD) and thus keep them in check. You cannot effectively supervise someone you did not hire or cannot fire. There is an urgent need to address the administrative gap because both MD and DMD are appointed by the Finance Minister. For this reason, the DMD finds it convenient to disrespect the board and the MD. This needs to be addressed,” said the analyst who preferred not to be named over the sensitivity of the matter.
Early this month, the NSSF board voted to not renew Ssali’s contract which expires on 29th October 2017.
Her performance had been deemed “unsatisfactory” over the three years she had been with the Fund.
In 2016, Ssali was suspended by the NSSF board on grounds of indiscipline. She sued NSSF, the board chairman Kaberenge and Byarugaba and the courts cancelled her suspension and reinstated her in office pending investigations into her alleged insubordination. However, two days after the court order, the security guards at Workers House, blocked her from entering her office forcing her to go to court and sue the Byarugaba and Kaberenge over contempt of a court.
She later held a meeting with Finance Minister Kasaijja and some members of the board and it was resolved that she be reinstated but on condition that she withdraws all the cases against NSSF in the High Court.
Kasaijja is yet to approve the board’s recommendation to not renew her contract since he has the last word.
