A late night press release on state radio and television on Thursday announced the sacking of the Director General of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT), Samuel Bangura; his very powerful deputy director general in charge of finance and membership which is the essence of the Trust, Gibril Saccoh and the head of investment Idris Turay.
Sources close to NASSIT and State House say the dismissals followed a letter written to the president by the Chairman of the Board, Jacob Kanu in which he asked for the sacking of the entire management.
In that letter, Kanu accused management of poor investment and of not working in the interest of the institution.
The sackings came just a day after the opening of the country's first 5-star hotel, Radisson Blu which is 80% owned by NASSIT.
It is not clear which investments the Board chairman was upbraiding but it came after the Director General and some of his team went to State House to see President Ernest Bai Koroma after it had emerged that the Board Chairman had made serious allegations against them.
Our State House says they were snubbed by the president who called in the labour minister and the board chairman but refused to see the top bras. They left State House and later heard about their sacking on radio.
One of the investments that have been most criticised is the purchase of two broken ferries which cost about 2 million dollars which was before the now sacked Director General was in office. While the one never worked, the other worked but broke down later.
The Anti Corruption intervened in that case and threatened to indict the then head of the Trust. Rather controversially an out-of-settlement was reached. They included the current Financial Secretary.
(C) Politico 23/04/14
