Also In This Issue
Finance Division
Undergoes Restructuring
Page 8
Benefits Bids Mr. Arde Acquah farewell
Page 10
How To Avoid Unhealthy
Relationships
Page 16
1
February, 2016
Mr Yeboah making his presentation
Ms. Sheila Sampson
GM Admin. / HR
SSNIT AWARDS
10 EMPLOYEES
FOR
EXCEPTIONAL
PERFORMANCE
“Employee recognition as,“The acknowledgement
of an individual or learner’s behaviour, effort and
accomplishments that supports the organisations goals
and values,”. says the Ottawa, Canada-based HR
Council
To achieve such a noble goal, the Board and
Management of the Social Security and National
Insurance Trust (SSNIT), has presented ten (10)
employees with awards. The staff
excelled in their
2014 performance appraisal within the Administration,
Human Resource, the Operations, the Benefits, the
Management Information Systems, Investment and
Development, Finance, General Counsel and the Staff
Directorate Divisions.
Awards
Each of the recipients, was rewarded with Ten thousand
Cedis (GH ȼ10,000), a citation and an overseas training
course.
The awardees are :
Mr. Edmund Adotei Adotey, Human Resource
Management Division,
• Mrs Agnes Asaa , Operations Division
• Mr. Emmanuel Fuachie, Operations Division
• Mr. Alexander Plange, Operations Division,
• Mr. Eric Sintim-Misa, Benefits Division
• Mr. Samuel Anarfi, MIS Division.
• Miss Stella Baah, Investment Development
Division,
• Mrs Rachel Gyamfi-Boateng, General Counsel
Division,
• Mr. Elvis Joe Dadey, Staff Directorate and
• Mr. Samuel N. A. Abbey, Finance Division.
Ms. Sheila Sampson, General Manager, Human
Resource and Administration told the NEWSSHEET
2
February, 2016
that the awardees were selected based on stringent
individual - assessment score premised on a Performance
Management System (PMS) in the Trust.The scores
were subsequently collated and analysed by the PMS
Committee as well as the Heads of the respective
Divisions.
She explained that in the past, 30 percent of the Staff
who were identified to be high performers were given
only cash awards.
In 2013, the Senior Staff Association and the Local
Union petitioned the Board and the SSNIT Management
over these issues and the aftermath is the current
arrangement.
The Board’s approval came with an incentive award for
exceptional performers and as a result ten (10) persons
are to be awarded every year.
Methodology
One person was selected from each of seven Divisions
with the Operations Division selecting three (3). This
is because the Operations Division constitutes two –
thirds of the entire membership of the Trust. whereas
the seven (7) other Divition constitite 1/3.
in the discharge of their duties.
She continued that, the Trust is of the firm belief that
the surest way every employee can justify his or her
monthly remuneration and other benefits is to put in
his or her best effort to provide value for the employer,
which is SSNIT, and the people of Ghana.
Exhortation
Ms. Sampson said the Human Resource and
Administrative Division believes that every employee
is capable of giving off his or her best.
The Trust is therefore encouraging everybody to take
his or her official duties seriously, not just for the
expected rewards at the end of the year, but also the
inward satisfaction of earning income and also enjoying
benefits that they deserve.
She appealed to those who believe they also worked
hard during the 2014 assessment year and ought to have
been recognised, not to be discouraged but to intensify
their efforts in the coming years, “Their dreams are
likely to materialise earlier than they are anticipating”,
she concluded.
Ms. Sampson said, the Board and Management
of SSNIT is determined to appreciate and reward
handsomely staff who exhibite excellent performance
THE AWARDEES
AND THEIR CITA TIONS
OPERATIONS DIVISION
Mr. Alexander Plange (Teller/Dunkwa Branch)
• He worked late nights and weekends in order to clear all Biometric forms at the Branch which impacted positively on the success
of the Biometric Registration Exercise.
• He acted as the Branch Accountant when the substantive was
on leave to the admiration of all his colleagues.
• He is always ready to assist in any capacity when the need
arises.
• He additionally prepared the monthly Customer Service and
Public Education reports timely.
• His contributions were outstanding and deserve recognition.
3
Mr. Alexander Plange
February, 2016
Ms. Agnes Asaa (Prosecutor/Tema C2 Branch Office)
• A very hardworking staff whose performance during the period
impacted significantly on the Trust.
• Ms Asaa is highly committed to duty. Her effort contributed
greatly to the retrieval of overdue outstanding penalties to the tune of
GH¢421,159.00 from companies like Fidelity Bank,
GIMPA, Capital Venture, Ghana Red Cross, Premix Secretariat,
District Assembly Common Fund and WAEC among others.
• She went the extra mile to locate Transport Commodities and
retrieved arrears of GH¢25,000.
• She contributed greatly to the retrieval of arrears from evasive
and difficult employers such as L’aine Services.
• Her performance during the 2014 assessment year was outstanding.
Ms. Agnes Asaa
Mr. Emmanuel Fuachie
(Senior Ops Research Officer/Office of the
Operations Coordinator)
• Mr. Fuachie was the pivot in the Coordinators Office who ensured all activities related to the Division were effectively coordinated.
• He played a lead role in the timely preparation of ;
- Divisional Budgets
- Action Plan
- Presentations at the Strategic Review /Operations Conference
• He organised all Operational Conferences and Divisional Meetings.
• Mr Fuachie coordinated and participated in the training of newly appointed Branch Managers.
• Due to his skills and efficiency, he was able to take on additional role
as the Operations Coordinator when the substantive was on leave.
Mr. Emmanuel Fuachie
• His contribution to the Division was very significant.
FINANCE DIVISION
Mr. Samuel N. A. Abbey
(Member Accounts Coordinator/Operations Accounts
/N/S)
He has a very positive attitude towards work which translates
into timely results.
• He re-designed the Statement of Account Form template to
reflect paid contributions.
• Mr. Abbey organised and facilitated training programmes
for Area Accountants for all Area offices.
• He was exceptional in the retrieval of email addresses from
employers and contributors which facilitated the process of up-
4
Mr. Samuel N. A. Abbey
February, 2016
dating information on members. This was key for the success of the RCM Module of the OBS.
• He played a key role in the syndicate group presentation during Operations Conference at Elmina.
• Generally, the impact of his contribution to the Division was enormous.
BENEFITS DIVISION
Mr. Eric Sintim-Misa
(Benefits Officer/ Lump Sum Department)
• During the assessment year, his investigations and due diligence led to
the rejection of two claim files which would have been paid by Accountant General’s Department (Cap 30). This saved the Trust a huge amount of
money.
• As a member of the OBS Benefit Module Team for UAT, his contributions and commitment were very outstanding. He made valuable inputs as a
member.
• Notwithstanding, his full commitment to the OBS he stayed beyond
working hours and worked on weekends to ensure he processed all lumpsum claims accurately and promptly.
• The choice of Eric was unanimously accepted by all members present
because his performance was “par excellence”.
Mr. Eric Sintim-Misa
MIS DIVISION
Mr. Stephen Anaafi
(Network Engineer/IT Communications & Network)
•
An outstanding staff who thinks outside the box when it comes
to problem solving.
•
His strong technical expertise has been evident as a member of
the OBS team since inception.
His contributions to the OBS Success story include the following:
• He configured Cisco Load Balancer to balance traffic on OBS internet applications to ensure effective
performance.
• He rebuilt and configured Raid5 on the Sun System
and further advised against the purchase of disk to
save the Trust.
Mr. Stephen Anaafi
• He was also part of the team which investigated
and made recommendations on solutions to the cause
of slow performance of the OBS applications at some
5
February, 2016
IDD DIVISION
Ms. Stella Baah
(Senior Valuer /Properties Cluster A)
She was selected as the most outstanding staff for
the Division for the year under review due to the
following:
• She is a proactive invaluable staff whose work
impacted positively on everybody’s role within the
Division.
• She is reliable and versatile and always ready to
take up new challenges.
• During the period, her persistent follow - ups and
prprosecution of defaulting tenants improved rent
collection significantly.
Ms. Stella Baah
STAFF DIRECTORATE/SPECIAL PROJECT
Mr. Elvis Joe Dadey
(Assistant Research Officer/Research Department)
• He contributed significantly to organisational success during
the year under review. He prepared four (4) technical reports
requested for by Management decision - making and presented
them promptly and excellently to the Executive Committee. This
is a high level job which is not usually handled by an Assistant
Research Officer yet he delivered it excellently.
• During the period, technical reports he submitted were on
strategic issues.
• He successfully led a Team to conduct surveys at the
Northern Operational Areas of the Trust.
• His in-depth studies and research findings provided
adequate information to the Trust which helped in decision
making.
• His leadership skill was evident when he acted as the
Senior Research Officer in the absence of the Substantive.
Mr. Elvis Joe Dadey
6
February, 2016
ADMIN & HR
Mr. Edmund Adotei Adotey
(Industrial Relations Officer/ Human Resource
Management)
• As an Industrial Relations Officer, his professional approach
to the sensitive role he plays has significantly contributed to the
Industrial harmony we enjoy as an Institution.
• He facilitated Disciplinary Committee meetings very well and
ensured all 11 disciplinary cases reported during the year under
review were handled within a reasonable time frame yet in accordance with the laid down grievance procedures of the trust.
He also ensured all reports were submitted to the Executive promptly.
• He also ensured 12 out of 18 workmen’s compensation/insurance claims reported were duly investigated, handled, approved and paid during the period.
• The background work he carried out before
the 2014/2015 CBA negotiations enabled
the Committee to successfully conclude the
negotiation within three weeks of commencement.
Mr. Edmund Adotei Adotey
This feat was unprecedented in recent past which requires commendation.
• Generally, he is an exceptional and reliable staff whose positive attitude to work is highly commendable.
GENERAL COUNSEL
DIVISION
Mrs. Rachel Gyamfi Boateng
(Deputy Private Secretary/Office of GM GCD)
• She worked directly in the General Manager’s office and played a key role in coordinating the activities of the Division effectively and efficiently.
• She was considered an invaluable staff for the
Division due to her commitment and outstanding
performance.
• In her case, since she is currently on retirement,
the Divisional Head recommends only the cash award
without the training package.
Mrs. Rachel Gyamfi Boateng
7
February, 2016
FINANCE DIVISION UNDERGOES
RESTRUCTURING
By Mr James Addy,
Corporate Affairs Dept.
T
he Finance Division of the Social Security
and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT)
has been restructured with the creation
of two new departments, following the
implementation of the Oracle Financial Management
Suite.
The new departments are the Final Accounts and
the Payments Departments which are to replace the
Financial Accounts Department.
Consequently, Mr Kwasi Kyeretwie-Kwanin of the
Mrs Martha Wudu Payment Manager
former Financial Accounts Department has been appointed
acting Final Accounts Manager while Mrs Martha Wudu,
Mr Kwasi Kyeretwie-Kwainin
Final Accounts Manager
Financial Accountant has been made payment Manager. the
appointments took effect from Monday, February 15,2016.
The Financial Accounts Department deals among other things with matters as bank reconciliation and
inputing of data for the preparation of Trust accounts while the Payment Department handles issues such
as salaries, benefits and payment to contractors working on projects.
A memorandum signed by Mrs Mary Nagetey, the Human Resource Manager
departments in the Finance Division has been increased from 7 to 8.
said the number of
It said fixed assets unit has been placed under Investment Accounts Department while the Inventory Unit
has been moved to Operations Accounts Department, Southern Sector. Accounting for rent and sale of flats
will now be handled by Operations Accounts Department, Northern Sector.
8
February, 2016
SSNIT MOURNS FORMER BOARD
CHAIR - OSEADEEYO
By Mrs. Rita Adesah
Area Corporate Affairs Rep.
A
DELEGATION from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) donated cash and
assorted drinks to support the funeral of the late Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa III, the Okuapehene, in
Akropong in the Eastern Region. It was led by Mr. Emmanuel Agyei – Ntiamoah, the Operations
Monitoring Manager of the Koforidua Area Office.
The late Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa was the chairman of the SSNIT
Board of Directors from 1977-1980.
The donation was received by Nana Agyiri Aggrey, the Mawerehene
of the Akuapim Traditional Area.
He expressed his appreciation SSNIT.
Nana Aggrey (right) receiving
the donation
Mr Agyei-Ntiamoah (fouth from left) with the SSNIT staff that attended the funeral
T
SSNIT INFORMED OF
D.S BOATENG’S DEATH
HE family of the late
Ambassador David Sarpong
Boateng the former Board
Chairman of SSNIT (1994 1998), has called on the Trust Executive
to formally inform it of his death and
funeral arrangements.
The late Ambassador D. S. Boateng
was the Ministry of Environment and
Social Welfare’s representative on the
Board before eventually assuming the
chairmanship.
He died in December last year
Ms. Eva Amegashie receiving customary drinks from Mr. Isaac Boateng the
brother of the late D.S. Boateng
9
February, 2016
Expressing his condolences
to the family, the Director –
General of SSNIT, Mr. Ernest
Thompson, lauded the contributions of Mr. D. S. Boateng
towards the success chalked by
SSNIT, in many respects.
He thanked the delegation and
assured them of the Trust’s
assistance to give the former
chairman a befitting burial.
Mr. D. S. Boateng would be
laid to rest at Koforidua on
March 5, this year.
Messrs Isaac Boateng (right) and his siblings,William (middle) and Alex (left)
By Emmanuel Pessey,
Corporate Affairs Dept.
BENEFITS DIVISION BIDS
MR LESLIE ARDE-ACQUAH
FAREWELL
Mr. Arde Acquah (middle) being assisted by Mr. Van Sackey (Left),
Mrs. Rosemary Sackey,Mr. Laud Senanu, Ms. Sheila Sampson to cut
the cake
A
SHORT but impressive ceremony has been held
in the Conference Room of Pension House,
Accra, to bid farewell to Mr Leslie ArdeAcquah, General Manager, Benefits, who was
retiring after 21-years service with the Trust.
It was organised by the Benefits Division. and Mr ArdeAcquah who exhibited his usual lively disposition, exchanged
pleasantries, shared jokes and danced with some members of
the Management Team and Staff.
A citation read by Mrs Irene Akpabla, Repository Manager,
Mr. Arde Acquah displaying his citation.
10
February, 2016
Records Department, praised Mr Arde-Acquah For
his outstanding contribution in the field of Pension
Administration in Ghana.
Mr Arde-Acquah joined the Trust as a Deputy Manager
in the Claims Department of SSNIT on January 10,
1994.
The citation stated that Mr Arde-Acquah’s sterling
leadership qualities coupled with his results- oriented
disposition and exemplary team spirit enabled him to
hold various positions across the Divisions of the Trust.
He was appointed the first Project Manager for the preclaim activity code named “Age 54+ Project.”
Mr. Arde-Acquah being supported by Managers from other Divisions of
the Trust to cut the cake
“Your quest for excellence, passion and versatile personality transported you to mainstream operations when
you were appointed Branch Manager for Legon and
Adabraka,” the commendation continued.
“Your prowess again zoomed to the fore when you
braved all odds and made your branch teams proud
by leading them to win the enviable best “Branch A”
positions- a feat rarely achieved”. The citation also indicated that Mr, Arde-Acquah was later appointed a the
Operations Coordinator and Area Manager, Koforidua.
“You successfully led a team to produce the New
Business Process Re-engineering Document; very fundamental to the OBS”, it said.
Mr Arde-Acquah was later moved to the Benefits
Division as the Records Manager and later as General
Manager, Benefits.
Ms. Sheila Sampson presenting a parcel to Mr. Arde Acquah
Mr Arde-Acquah was a very hard working and a jolly
good fellow, said Mrs Rosemary Sackey, Ag. General
Manager, Benefits.
Ms. Sheila Sampson, General Manager, Human Resource
and Administration, who presented the citation hoped
that the words in it would inspire Mr Arde-Acquah in his
reflections while on retirement.
Mr Arde-Acquah thanked the SSNIT Management and
Staff for their support and cooperation during his service
with the Trust.
He encouraged the staff to give off their best, in whatever capacity they found themselves and their light will
shine in the morning.
Mr Arde-Acquah reminded the gathering that life is full
of challenges but then with determination, one can surmount them.
Present were Nii Adja Nablah, General Manager,
Finance, Ms. Sheila Sampson,General Manager,Human
Resource and Administration, Mr Laud Senanu, Ag.
General Manager, Operations, Mr Peter Hayibor,
General Counsel,Mr Noel Addo, General Manager
,Investments and Development. Dr Caleb Afaglo, Ag.
General Manager , MIS, Mr Van Sackey, Ag. General
Manager,Special Projects, all members of the Executive
Management Team.
By Mr James Addy,
Corporate Affairs Dept.
Mrs. Faustina Abra Nti, Head of Strategic Planning presenting a parcel to
Mr. Arde Acquah
Mr. Arde-Acquah (middle) with the SSNIT Management team. from
left Dr.Caleb Afaglo,Mr Van-Sackey,Mr. Noel Addo,Mr.Peter Hayibor
11
February, 2016
The Best performing staff of operations
division receive cash awards
T
HREE best performing workers for the 2014 Assessment
year from the Operations Division has each been presented GHc 10,000 cheque and the opportunity to
attend a training course overseas.
They are Ms Agnes Asaa, Prosecutor,Tema Community
2 Branch,Messrs Alexander Plange, Branch Teller, Dunkwa
Branch and Emmanuel Fuachie,formerly of the Operations
Coordinator’s office,and now Head Portofolio, Accounting
Unit.
Mr Laud Senanu,General Manager,Operations who presented the awards, congratulated them for good performance.
He said the Operations Division has about 1,340 staff and
for three of them to be given awards is a huge achievement.
Ms. Asaa and Messrs Plange and Fuachie expressed their
gratitude to the SSNIT management and staff who contributed
to their success and promised to work harder to improve the
quality of service rendered to contributors.
Mr. Laud Senanu (third left) with the award winners from the Operations Division. Also in the picture is Mr. Richard Manu Ops. CoOrdinator (right).
50TH ANNIVERSARY OFFERTORY
GIVEN TO ORPHANAGE
P
UPILS of the Providence Orphanage, Aflao, were
thrown into a festive frenzy in December last year, when
officials of SSNIT presented gifts to them, on behalf of
the Trust.
The package, comprising quanties of rice, oil, milk, beverages, biscuits, eggs, soft drinks, sugar, toilet and washing soap
as well as toilet rolls were made possible from the offering at
the SSNIT 50th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service.
The presentation was made by Mr. John K. Ansah,
Operations, Monitoring Manager, Tema Area, on behalf of the
Trust.
In his address, Mr. Ansah touched on the relevance of
SSNIT to society, and educated the children on its operations.
He exhorted them to be interested in SSNIT pursuing their
12
February, 2016
education, and also grow into
responsible leaders and workers of the future.
The Proprietress of the
Orphanage, Madam Helen
King expressed her appreciation to the Trust.
Present at the presentation were Mr. Herbert Hodasi,
Branch Manager, Denu,
Ms. Grace Donkor, Area
Accountant, Ho, and other
ancillary staff of the Denu
Branch.
Mr. Ansah (in suit) presenting the gift to Madam King
By Emmanuel Pessey,
Corporate Affairs Dept.
SSNIT DONATES TO KOFORIDUA
REGIONAL HOSPITAL
T
HE Social
Security
a
n
d
N a t i o n a l
Insurance Trust
(SSNIT)has
received
the
praise and admiration of the people of Koforidua
after
donating
Ten
thousand
Ghana
Cedis
(GH¢10,000) to
the
Koforidua
Regional Hospital
at the launch of
their 50th anniversary celebration.
The
facility which was
adjudged the best
Regional Hospital
in Ghana in 2013,
is still chalMr Robert Owusu Sekyere presenting the symbolic dummy cheque to the hospital’s Chief Medical Director . With
him are members of the Managment team
lenged in terms
of infrastructure,
hence, the choice of the theme, “Celebrating 90 Years corporate institution to assist the facility to carry out its
of Excellence in Health Care Delivery-Achievements, envisaged projects.
Presenting the symbolic dummy cheque, Mr. Owusu –
Challenges and Prospects.” The celebration provided the
opportunity for the hospital to solicit for funds to give it Sekyere said that, SSNIT has vested interest in a healthy
a facelift.
and happy citizenry, since it is only a healthy people who
It was an exciting and proud moment when the SSNIT can work and contribute to the scheme, hence its identifiteam, led by Mr. Robert Owusu-Sekyere, the Koforidua cation with the cause of the Hospital.
Dr. Anim Boamah, the Medical Director of the Hospital
Area Manager made the donation. SSNIT was the first
13
February, 2016
expressed his gratitude to the Management of the Trust
and said that, SSNIT is a shining example of an institution
which takes its corporate social responsibility seriously.
By Mrs. Anita Adesah.
Area Corporate Affairs Rep., Koforidua
PROF. KUENYEHIA CALLS FOR
PEACE TO PROTECT INVESTMENTS
P
ROFESSOR Akua Kuenyehia, the former
judge of the International Court of Justice
at The Hague, the Netherlands, has urged
Ghanaians to consolidate the peace, this election year, so as to ensure the safety of economic
investments in the country.
She warned that without peace, all investments stand the threat of being lost to the country.
Prof. Kuenyehia who was speaking at a lecture organised by the Rotary Club, Accra West
with the assistance of the Institute of Democratic
Governance (IDEG), Accra, wondered whether
Ghana is really peaceful or a country sitting on
a time bomb.
She reiterated that the basic requirement for
peaceful co – existence among human beings is
respect and said lack of respect among sections
of the people could affect the stability of the
whole nation.
Prof. Kuenyehia touched on effective governance and emphasised that professionalism of
the police service, the civil service as well as the
level of trust among the citizenry of the government’s ability to deal with problems head on, are
also determinants of peace.
She advised, African governments to be seen
to be responsive to the needs of the people, and
said, if that is not done, their frustrations and
agitation could result in disorder and turmoil and
destabilise their countries.
Professor Kuenyehia further entreated governments to pursue the peace, ensure economic
progress and equitable distribution of resources
to the citizenry, so as to avert any unforeseen
catastrophies.
She asked governments to check corruption,
since it is a canker with the tendency to destroy
countries, their peace and stability.
If Africans do not deal with corruption,
the peace we are enjoying would elude us, she
warned. she cited the practice of bribing the electorate during elections all over the continent is a
form of corruption which needs to be stopped.
She also called for the free flow of information in society and stressed that “information
should not be the property of a few people”.
Prof. Kuenyehia
“There is no need to hide information, there is no need to keep
information from the people”, she cautioned, in her conclusion.
SSNIT was invited to participate in the lecture, since it is the
largest public non-bank financial institution in the country.
By Mr. James Addy, Corporate Affairs Dept.
14
February, 2016
SSNIT INTERACTS WITH MILLENNIUM
SUPPORTERS UNION OF GHANA (MISUGHA)
O
FFICIALS of the Corporate
Affairs Department of the Social
Security and National Insurance
Trust (SSNIT) have interacted warmly with members of the Millennium
Supporters Union of Ghana (MISUGHA)
at Nima, Accra.
The group wanted among other things
to find out the benefits available to them,
with the introduction of the new Pension
Scheme, hence the meeting with the
officials.
They were consequently briefed on
the history of SSNIT, Act 766 and its
three- Tier Pension arrangement, benefit issues, SSNIT Branch locations and
informal sector worker membership.
The Customer Care Manager, Mrs.
Victoria Gifty Abaidoo, who led the team,
impressed it upon the MISUGHA members, the importance of registering and
contributing towards their future retirement.
The team answered questions on
By Joseph Nkoo, Corporate Affairs Dept.
whether withdrawals could be done during active service, the use of SSNIT
membership card for identification elsewhere and how they could get registered
with the Trust.
Alhaji Shaibu Abass Guntu, the
National Organizer of the MISUGHA,
urged the supporters to register with
SSNIT for a guaranteed pension in their
old age.
MISUGHA is an Association of young
men and women who provide moral support for the National Teams especially
at major international tournaments, and
whip up interest in most sporting activities in the country.
Mrs. Victoria Gifty Abaidoo addressing the members of MISUGHA
SSNIT FLATS ... A RELIEF FOR SUNYANI
WORKERS -OMANHENE
By Sylvester Teprey, Area Corporate Affairs Rep.
T
HE Omanhene of Sunyani, Nana
Bosoma Aso-Nkrawiri II has
praised SSNIT for providing residential flats for workers in the metropolis.
The Omanhene made this comment
when the New Area Manager of the
Trust, paid him a courtesy call to officially introduce herself at his palace on
Thursday, January 21, 2016.
The Omanhene praised SSNIT for
providing office accommodation for
many other corporate bodies countrywide.
He was also very pleased with the
SSNIT Flats which have come as a relief
to many workers in Sunyani, and elsewhere.
Nana Bosoma Aso-Nkrawiri II however appealed to Trust to develop its land
that has been lying fallow all these years,
in Sunyani. He remarked further that
developing it will even generate employment for many of the young men and
women in the metropolis.
Present at the ceremony was the
Krontihene of the Sunyani Traditional
Area, Nana Bofotia Boa-AmponsemII.
In response, the New Area Manager,
Ms Anyinsah, assured the Omanhene
of her co-operation and preparedness to
strengthen the already very good relations
between SSNIT and the Traditional Area.
She intimated that management is
working hard to ensure that all SSNIT
lands across the country are developed
in due time.
The Area Manager was accompanied by The Area Accounts Manager,Mr
Desmond Amoah, the IT coordinator
MrReginald Ayitey, Mr George Tutu
Kyeremeh of the Sunyani Branch office
and the Sunyani Area Corporate Affairs
Representative, Mr Sylvester Teprey.
Ms Anyinsah (3rd from right), Nana Bosoma Aso Nkrawiri II (3rd from left) and the
SSNIT delegation
15
February, 2016
THE month of February has come to be associated with
love.This is evidenced with the celebration of Valentine
Day which falls on February 14, every year.
The Day is marked in honour of St. Valentine, a
Catholic Priest in Rome who was martyred in AD 269, for
promoting love and kindness among all.
Being the month of love, NEWSSHEET hereby
produces,courtesy of (MS. Mariska Araba TaylorDarko) a renowned writer of the article, CYCLE OF LOVE
- HOW TO AVOID UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS from
her book – THE SECRET TO DETOXIFYING YOUR
LIFE AND LOVE.
U
NHEALTHY love? You may say, well it exists.
Below are some of the signs that will let you know
whether you are in a healthy or unhealthy relationship and
how you can make a change in your life.
1. Is your partner very critical of you all the time?
2. Are you or your partner very jealous and possessive?
3. Do you refuse to forgive?
4. Are you in a violent relationship?
5. Do you always have to have the word regardless
of the consequence?
6. Do you want to control each other’s movement all
the time?
7. Do you cling to the person giving you grief
because you are afraid of being alone or afraid to leave?
8. Are you afraid to go home?
9. Are you being emotionally blackmailed by your
partner?
10. Are you putting your all into the relationship but
your partner does not give you the time of the day, and
shows no commitment?
11. Are you always unhappy?
12. Do you want to change your partner to be more
like you?
13. Are you afraid of your partner changing – improving themselves, becoming more outgoing?
14. Are you unable to endure separation?
15. Are you in a relationship with someone else’s
partner?
If you can answer ‘yes’ to any of these, then you are in
a relationship that is not healthy. But all is not lost. Some
of these are simple to change to be able to give you the
16
best out of your relationship – to make it healthy again.
There are many people who convince themselves
that their relationship are fine and yet, in private one or
both of them going through hell. It is hard to help in this
situation unless the parties themselves are willing because
like other chronic bad habit, those affected are always in
denial.
Extreme jealousy and possessiveness
People who are very insecure of themselves are usually very jealous and possessive. Any move their partner
makes is taken as a threat. Whether you come home late
from work, dress up nicely, talk to another person either
of the same or opposite sex or even interact with family,
they get jealous and start arguments which can end up
in violence. Partners are threatened and even forced to
take decision to isolate themselves from everyone just
to have peace and in that way the jealous partner gains
control. The partner is self-centered and needs to take
control. They will do anything to exert their authority.
They always criticize, they make their partners feel guilty
all the time and blame them for everything under the Sun.
They put you down continuously so you feel no one else
loves you but them,they make you lose respect and love
for yourself. Unhealthy love just drains everyone, both the
victim and the abuser.
Denial of the truth
Have you ever told a friend the truth about their relationship and they become your enemy. How many people
would say thank you to a friend who pointed out that they
were in a destructive unhealthy relationship. Usually it
is when the relationship ends or when they have reached
rock bottom that they admit that all is not well. More
likely they will try to justify everything the abuser does
and give all manner of excuses for them,
for example;
•
“I caused it, it’s not his/ her fault”
•
“He / she is having a bad time at work”
•
“They are under pressure now”
•
“I should not have upset him / her, so it was my
fault”
•
“I bumped into the door”
•
“I fell down the stairs”
•
“You are jealous of my relationship”
February, 2016
If you have a friend whom you trust and who is honest
with you, always listen to them because they don’t have
the same tunnel vision you have and they see things from
different perspective. They are on the outside looking in.
If they know you very well they will see that things are not
going well and that you are unhappy.
Lack of forgiveness
When you have tendency not to forgive you realize that
nothing the person does will ever please you, you harbor
mistrust and anger and are always ready to accuse and
refer the person back to the past issue time and time again.
You slowly eat yourself up inside and are and are continuously depressed. This causes pain inside you and is a sure
way of channeling disease into your body. You can suffer
from stress, high blood or cancer and many other things
because you are carrying around this heavy load of poison
that can kill you. We produce toxins in our body and these
turn settle in the liver. Since the action of unforgiveness
doesn’t go away, the liver continues to store these toxins
in it and the result is liver degeration.
Forgiveness is paramount to a happy personal life “To
err is human, to forgive is divine” and it is true – it is hard
to forgive but when you do, you remove all bad inner feelings from you.
You feel the negative vibes melt away from you and
your heart becomes free. Of course you won’t forget the
pain caused but you will no longer dwell on it and you
start to live your life again. Make it a point to forgive
because it is you it affects more than the other person.
They may be happily going about their business, not
thinking of anything and you constantly burn up inside
every time you see them, your blood pressure rises, your
teeth clench together and you end up with a headache and
back ache and it can even affect your spine. “Forgiveness
heals” – remember that! You move forward when you let
go – you are no longer a victim but now opening yourself
up to experiencing the love you deserve.
Obsessive Love
Usually when a person in a relationship becomes
obsessive they confuse this with love and loose emotional
control. This is an unending cycle. I am sure you will
recognize some of these if it has happened to you and you
will be able to identify what level you are now at.
First Level – you get attracted overwhelmingly with
the person and become hooked. You look for the slightest
bit of attention from the person you are interested in and
attracted to. You rush into the relationship without thinking of whether they are compatible and you don’t think
of the differences in character and their background. You
fantasize about your love interest and then the controlling behavior starts to show. You don’t take time to study
the person or get to know their good or bad traits which
would even be a signal foryou to either end it or start it.
Second Level – you start to get worried and anxious
and have a fear of losing the person. You are always
phoning them up at all hours to talk with them and you
constantly keep in touch with them, leaving no breathing
space, you just have to know where they are and what
they are doing every minute of the day, confusing this
with love. You get jealous, feel sick inside and depressed
By MS. Mariska Araba Taylor-Darko
An author and a member of the Ghana
Association of Writers
LOVE IS A CYCLE
When you love, you get hurt
When you get hurt, you hate
When you hate, you try to forget.
When you try to forget, you start missing.
And when you start missing ...
You will eventually fall in love
17
February, 2016
SECURITY TITBITS... SECURITY TITBITS...
C
ontemporary security threats have become a concern to humanity and criminals (international and
national) are devising all methods and employing
the technologies available to achieve their aims.
It is essential for individuals and communities to know
and understand that generally, threat to security is threat
to all humanity.
Thus, we need to know of security issues in our
environment and develop a strong sense of awareness
and behavioral adjustments, to prevent or reduce security
challenges.
Security in general is a collective responsibility it thus
requires the collective efforts of us all, to ensure that our
environment is safe.
However, personal security is an individual responsibility so every individual must devise means to maintain
his or her safety. This means we need to develop a strong
sense of security awareness of our environment to ensure
we live in safety.
Generally, we need to use common sense, follow our
instincts and take precautionary measures to reduce, if not
avert security risks.
Secondly, we must be conscious of details about
strange events, and happenings, people, locations and
incidents, to enable us give good accounts or description
as and when required to do so.
Below are some security and safety titbits: Please note
they are not absolute.
1) TITBITS IN THE HOUSE.
Do not be complacent with security in the house.
Several criminal attacks are preceded by surveillance by
perpetrator(s).
Conduct physical security assessments of your houses
and the external environment constantly and improve
upon them.
Know your neighbourhood very well and be on your
guard for unexpected attackers at all times, especially
nights.
OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING:
1. Ensure that your house is well fenced and may
have additional security features like electric fencing or
concertina razor over the fence wall (especially back and
side walls) if you can afford them. Guard dogs and CCTV
facilities are also recommended.
2. Ensure your compound is well lit, including the
entrances. Criminals operate mostly under the cover of
darkness. A well lit compound could ward off criminals.
3. Ensure your doors and burglary proofs are very
strong and well designed to prevent burglary. Always
keep window curtains down to prevent your room from
being seen from outside, especially at night.
4. Always ensure doors and windows are well
18
Mr. Anthony Arthur, Security Service Co-ordinator, SSNIT
locked before you go to bed or leave the house. Never
sleep with windows opened at night, even if they are well
secured with strong iron bars.
5. Avoid keeping keys in keyholes after locking
doors, especially main doors; if one robber enters your
room, it will make the opening of the main door easy for
the rest to enter and operate.
6. Do not open your door to person(s) you cannot
identify until you are convinced. Be careful of persons
who approach you in your neighbourhood to seek assistance or direction to a place.
7. Carry out periodic inspections of your house and
repair all faults as soon as practicable. Monitor the artisan who fixes door keys, to prevent him from keeping or
producing duplicates.
8. Do not leave ladders, machetes, crowbars,
axes,etc. on your compound; criminals can use them
against you.
9. Devise and use several routes to work and back.
Avoid undue delays at your main entrance, especially
at night. Do not drive straight into your house, if you
observe strange and suspicious person(s) or car parked at
your entrance, drive past your gate and re-assess the situation before entering.
10. Ensure your vehicle is well locked at all times,
even in the garage.
11. Ensure you have the phone numbers of neighbours you can call in emergencies to assist you.
12. Do not leave your valuable items outside. Keep
all valuables under lock at all times.
13. Good solid doors are vital and never have exteFebruary, 2016
rior glass doors. Have a peephole, and reinforce your doors with security bars, strong locks and bolts.
14. Educate your household on fire prevention and fighting and ensure fire extinguishers are available and usable
at all times.
15. Always rehearse and keep in memory what action you would take if confronted by an attacker. Be aware, there
is no right or wrong way to respond to an attack.
Each situation will be different but generally you can apply the following:
I. Talk your way out and give in to the demands of the attacker(s) if that is the only option, to save your life.
II. Have a safe room or emergency exit in your house where you can take cover until help arrives, or escape to
safety.
III. Shout for help or fight back if you have the capacity and means to do so.
To be continued
By Mr. Anthony Arthur
Security Services Co-ordinator
ROYAL MODERN GYM
The Latin phrase “Mens sana in copore sano” usually
translated, a sound mind in a sound body suggests
that physical exercise helps in a person’s mental and
psychological well-being, and Mrs Araba Mansa
Pratt Ennin, an intern with the Corporate Affairs
Department therefore decided to visit the gymnasium
within the car park block at the Pension House to
observe the fitness programmes being undertaken by
many workers from the banks and other departments
within the Ministries environs. Kindly enjoy her
article.
I
T’S six in the morning and although it’s early,
hearts are pounding and muscles straining as
people follow the lead of Bright Obeng, the popular
aerobics instructor at the gym located on the ground
floor of the car parking complex. He turns to his class
and encourages them with a smile. His smile seems to
give the class a boost of energy and they resume their
aerobics with renewed zeal.
Royal Modern Gym has been operating from the
ground floor of the SSNIT Car Park since 2013 and
offer gymnasium services to people who live around
Ridge and its environs from Monday to Saturday. They
also have three trainers available to help patrons with
their exercise plans and aerobics. Royal Modern Gym
also offers massage and dietary services on demand.
Exercising is a fad which has gained popularity
with a section of the public who are concerned about
maintaining a healthy weight as part of healthy living. Drinking detox water, wearing waist trainers and
taking supplements to increase weight loss are all
popular means that people use to try and achieve the
perfect figure. Due to the rising reported cases of heart
diseases and the changes in lifestyle of people, more
people are resorting to exercise as a way to control
their weight.
Royal Modern Gym is open from 6am to 8pm. The
gym is fitted with different types of equipment from
Instructor Bright Obeng (right) supervising fitness training
Another worker doing the arm stretch execise
19
February, 2016
treadmills, kettle bells, leg curl machines, dumbbells and a squat rack to mention a few. The gym normally organises
aerobic classes from 6am to 7am which is highly patronised by ladies. The men love body building movements to
increase muscle size. Averagely, one would find a ratio of eight ladies to two men participating in the aerobics sessions.
For a cool monthly subscription of GH 80.00, one can have access to the gym equipment and with a top up of twenty
cedis, one can have access to both the gymnasium and the aerobics sessions. However, if one is not inclined towards
exercising at the gym, there are various alternatives for staff members.
Climbing up or down the stairs and taking periodic breaks to walk down the corridor are great ways to exercise
whilst at work. So let’s get fit and exercise for a healthy body.
By Mrs. Araba Mansa Pratt Ennin,
An Intern, Corporate Affairs Department
Some workers exercising on the treadmill
20
February, 2016
RECORDS
MANAGEMENT
With the new initiatives introduced at the Records the Trust. These include:
and Archives Repositories, the Benefits Division will
be serializing excerpts on Records Management for
i. Efficient retrieval of information capabilities
staff enlightenment and perusal. The maiden edition
to help staff do their jobs;
is as follows:
ii. Legal protection of the rights of SSNIT and
its employees;
INTRODUCTION
iii. Proper accountability and responsiveness to
customers, stakeholders and the public;
Although most of us might not be aware that we
iv. Preservation of institutional memory and
historical record;
are creating and handling SSNIT records, we individually create and manage information that we consider to be important. As employees of the Trust, we
constantly/occasionally make decisions or create or
handle information that affect the legal, operational,
fiscal, or administrative needs of the Trust.
The Public Records and Archives Administration
(PRAAD) Act – 1997 (Act 535) legally obliges
the Social Security and National Insurance Trust
(SSNIT) to keep full and accurate records of its
activities. The creation of adequate documentation and the preservation of the Trust’s records are
thus required by law. As a public institution, we
have public record-keeping responsibilities. The
Trust’s Records Management Policy and the Human
Resource Management (HRM) manual require that
“record” information be secured, controlled, maintained, appraised and disposed of properly.
v.
Reduced workload, redundancy, paperwork,
and clutter;
vi. Reduced operating costs; and
vii. Better support for management decisionmaking.
ARE THERE ANY PENALTIES FOR
UNAUTHORIZED DISPOSAL/DESTRUCTION
OF RECORDS?
Records created or acquired by an official or
employee of the Trust in the course of conducting
official business are the property of the Trust. The
penalty for the wilful and unlawful removal, mutilation, obliteration, or destruction of any SSNIT
record:-
•
Constitutes a major offense (under Group
II) and is punishable by Summary Termination of
The goal of records management is to identify Appointment (See Section III of the Employee
and maintain records that document the Trust’s orga- Handbook); (Internal) or
nizational, operational & administrative functions,
•
A fine or a maximum of two years in prison
policies, procedures, decisions, and essential transacor both (see section 24 of the Public Records and
tions of projects.
Archives Administration Act – 1997 (ACT 535).
(External)
Records management provides a rational basis for
deciding what recorded information should be saved,
All employees are responsible for reporting any
discarded, or preserved.
actual or threatened unlawful loss or removal of official records to his/her Supervisor, Records Manager,
But what benefits do we gain from effective man- the General Manager responsible for records management of records?
agement or the office of the Director General.
WHY RECORDS MANAGEMENT?
In addition to being mandated by law, effective
records management provides significant benefits to
21
To be continued.
February, 2016
STAFF RETIREMENT
The under-mentioned staff retired from the Trust in the month of FEBRUARY 2016.
NAME
DEPARTMENT /
BRANCH
JOB TITLE
Mr. Michael Kwadzo
Security
Security Assistant
Mr Daniel Sarpong
Secondment
Chief Executive Officer /
Oguaa Hotels
Ms. Margaret Duah
Weija
Stenographer Secretary
Mr. Kenneth Augustine Affor
Ho
Acounts Officer
Mr. Victor Odartey Aryee
Lump Sum
Benefits Assistant
Mr Huudu Adam
Gambaga
Benefits Assistant / Cashier
Rev. Kwaku Osei Bimpong
Office of the General Manager,
Special Projects
G. M. Special Projects
PROSECUTIONS
SSNIT COURTS ( January 2016)
CASES – 2015
CATEGORY
CASES INITIATED
Cases Filed in Court
New Cases Initiated
Cases Disposed of
Arrears/J-Debt retrieved January 2016
Cases Pending in Court as at January
2016
TOTAL NO. OF CASES
AMOUNT (GH¢000)
210
309
221
4,934.25
5,070.33
712.83
3,429.83
13,215.52
529
ARREARS / JUDGEMENT DEBT RETRIEVED
MONTH
December
January
AMOUNT (GH¢000)
2,474.53
3,429.83
STATISTICS ON OPERATIONS
CONTRIBUTIONS COLLECTED (JANUARY 2016)
CATEGORY
Private Establishment
Sub-vented
CAGD**
TOTAL
TARGET
(GH¢'000)
105,321.97
2,076.32
560,516.82
667,915.11
ACTUAL
(GH¢'000)
88,998.84
0.00
71,927.07
160,925.91
VARIANCE
% PERFOMANCE
(16,323.13)
(2,076.32)
(488,589.75)
(506,989.20)
84.5
0.0
12.8
24.1
** A/c General’s Target represents arrears as at December 2015 plus unpaid current contributions for the month of January
2016 (i.e. moving target).
22
February, 2016
ARREARS RETRIEVED ( JANUARY 2016)
CATEGORY
Private Establishments
Controller and Accountant General
Sub-Vented Organisations
TOTAL
TARGET
(GH¢'000)
9,167.56
560,516.82
742.68
570,427.06
ACTUAL
VARIANCE
(GH¢'000)
(GH¢’000)
15,113.97
5,946.41
71,927.07 (488,589.75)
0.00
(742.68)
87,041.04 (483,386.02)
PERFORMANCE
%
164.9
12.8
0.00
15.3
NEW ESTABLISHMENT / WORKER REGISTRATION
CATEGORY
New Workers Registered
NOVEMBER 2015
DECEMBER 2015
JANUARY 2016
13,614
11,006
20,917
567
329
522
New Establishments Registered
STATISTICS ON PENSIONS – JANUARY 2016
In the month of January 2016, 157,0790.
BENEFITS
Highest Pension
Lowest Pension
Average Pension
Highest 25% L/S
Lowest 25% L/S
Jan 2016 (GH¢)
19,823.85
276.00
723.18
525,619.69
94.34
Since Inception (GH¢)
29,677.50 (Indexed)
0.50
738,102.00
0.10
ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP STATUS
JANUARY 2016
Active Worker Population
1,245,319
ISSUED BY THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
01/03/2016
***********************
23
February, 2016