NSSF probe: Backfire as Committee recommends resignation of Minister Amongi

Ritah Ainembabazi 

 Kampala – Parliament 

select committee instituted to probe affairs of the National social security fund (NSSF) want the Minister of Gender Labour and Social Development Betty Amongi to resign immediately over her request of Shs6 billion from the fund.

This was one of the recommendations in the report presented on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday by the committee chairperson Mwine Mpaka, the Mbarara City south Member of Parliament .

Following the month long investigations, the committee established that the action of the minister in directing the Shs6 billion amounts to abuse of office.

“The action of the minister of Gender in directing 6 billion to be availed to her ministry amounts to abuse of office since a minister being the supervisor of NSSF without any law empowering her to do so and knowing that the ministry activities are financed through appropriation did an act which is prejudicial to the savers funds and the just administration of the NSSF,” says the report in part,

It adds, “The actions of the minister are arbitrary and an abuse of office of the duty under the NSSF Act thereby bringing her conduct within the ambit of the prohibition and section 11 of the Anti corruption act on abuse of office. We recommend that the minister of Gender resigns in public interest with immediate effect.”

The committee further recommend that president Museveni takes keen interest in the Minister’s conduct above.

Amongi had told the select committee that the suggestion for the money was within her powers as the line minister and in accordance with the law.

Meanwhile, the committee also recommended that former NSSF Managing Director, Richard Byarugaba, acting managing director Patrick Ayota and other officials implicated for participating in the initiation of Shs1.8 billion concealed under corporate social responsibility funds step aside with immediate effect to give way for investigations by the Inspectorate of Government.

“Whereas the committee appreciates Richard Byarugaba and the entire management for their effort in growing the fund from 1.7 trillion in 2010 to 17.3 trillion as at end of 4th quarter 2022, the committee notes their involvement in the initiation of the Shs1.8 billion concealed under cooperate social responsibility/investments (Shs450 million for the board chairman, 250 million for the minister responsible for labor, 500 million for the board members, 800 million for the Unions) where they justified before the Committee that they did it because of pressure from the board members to make donations as an investment for stakeholders, the committee notes that their justifications of succumbing to pressure to commit an illegality is no defense in criminal liability,” reads the report

The committee therefore recommends that the NSSF management that participated in the initiation of this Shs 1.8 budget for donations much as they didn’t participate in the final approval step aside with immediate effect for investigations by the office of the IGG for the offences of abuse of office, corruption, conspiracy to cause a felony with a view of immediate prosecution.

Speaker of Parliament Anita Among tasked the committee chairperson to return to the house today, Thursday at March 2, 2023 and summarize the report before it’s discussed.

The speaker also said the Ministers who were mentioned in the report will also make statements in their defense.