Overview:
Ayota was addressing journalists in Kampala on Wednesday amid increasing uncertainty amongst the members of the Fund over the delay to appoint a substantive Managing Director, allegations of corruption and political influence.
The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) management has sought to assure savers that no amount of political pressure will force them to tamper with workers’ savings.
According to acting NSSF Managing Director Patrick Ayota, they will not bow to any intimidation from politicians when dealing with the funds.
“The last thing anybody can do is push me. The only thing I really do is (protect) my reputation. The good thing people can write or allege whatever they want but the test against a lie or truth is time. Either way, it will show whether or not it is true. We have processes in this fund,” he said.
Ayota was addressing journalists in Kampala on Wednesday amid increasing uncertainty amongst the members of the Fund over the delay to appoint a substantive Managing Director, allegations of corruption and political influence as interference in the daily running of the fund by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.
The chairman of National Organisation of Trade Unions national, Wilson Owere, alleged that when Ayota was reappointed Deputy MD and made Acting Chief Executive, he approved the request by Betty Amongi, the supervising minister, to avail her ministry with six billion shillings to run campaigns related to the fund’s growth and compliance, yet, the ministry has its own budget.
“The last thing anybody can do is push me. The only thing I really do is (protect) my reputation. The good thing people can write or allege whatever they want but the test against a lie or truth is time. Either way, it will show whether or not it is true. We have processes in this fund,”
acting NSSF Managing Director Patrick Ayota
But Ayota denied the allegations, staking his reputation and experience.
“I have not just worked in this environment. I have worked in different markets. The only thing I really do is (protect) my reputation,” he said
Ayota said NSSF is registering more savers and is on the way to achieving above the target set for the year 2022/2023 basing on the performance over the last six months.
He said the Fund’s records show that half year collections amounted to Shs786 billion compared to the Shs643 billion recorded for the same period of the last financial year, while its income topped 1.05 trillion shillings.
In comparison, by December 2021 the Fund’s total revenues (income realized from its businesses) amounted to Shs900 billion.
He also denied ever attending any meeting called by General Salim Saleh at his Kapeeka base over NSSF operations, saying he was not even invited to it. He, however, said that in his view, there was nothing wrong with anyone meeting General Saleh.
It is said that at the meeting General Saleh was opposed to Byarugaba’s reappointment because of his negative attitude towards proposals to enable NSSF directly finance development activities related to the National Development Plan.