SSNIT interdicts GM of MIS over suspected 'fake' degree
The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has interdicted the head of its Management Information Systems (MIS) Division, 'Dr' Caleb Kwaku Afaglo, for using fake certificates to get his appointment.
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'Dr' Afaglo's interdiction was recommended by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) after painstaking investigations into his activities which led to a huge financial loss to SSNIT.
During the investigations, EOCO found out that 'Dr' Afaglo did not have a doctorate degree, as he claimed; neither did he possess a master's degree nor a bachelor's degree.
A source at EOCO hinted that its officials started investigations into 'Dr' Afaglo's activities early this year when some aggrieved employees reported to them that since his employment, a lot of things had gone wrong and so they believed he was a fake expert.
Investigations
The source said 'Dr' Afaglo was alleged to be the favourite of the former Director-General of SSNIT, Mr Ernest Thompson, who turned deaf ears to reports concerning the MIS head.
During 'Dr' Afaglo's appointment, he was said to be an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) specialist and telecommunications professional, with extensive experience in engineering, administration, management and support of information and systems.
The interdiction comes in the midst of the massive public disaffection for SSNIT following the revelation that it spent $72 million to procure a faulty software.
Automate processes
The contract, awarded in 2012, was meant to provide superior services for SSNIT customers, reduce member enrolment cycle through forms, provide effective reporting solution, achieve real time processing of contribution reports and reduce benefit processing time.
The initial contract sum was $34 million, but the trust ended up spending more within the period of four years.
'Dr' Afaglo was employed in 2015 as the General Manager of the MIS Division because of what his employers said was his 'impeccable' credentials.
That was after phases one and two of the Operational Business Suite (OBS) had been implemented.
Consultant for SSNIT
Before joining SSNIT as a full-time member of staff, 'Dr' Afaglo had worked on various projects as a consultant for SSNIT, the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA), the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and at MTN Ghana and Action Chapel International as the Data Services Supervising Engineer.
"'Dr' Afaglo had also served as the head of the IT Department at GLICO Insurance, SIMNET Ghana and the Dominion University and was allegedly sacked from the three organisations for presenting fake documents," EOCO said.
Sources say the authorities at the Dominion University found out about the fake documents after they had applied for accreditation from the National Accreditation Board.
Connect Ghana
'Dr' Afaglo established Connect Ghana's Technical Division and led all aspects of the company's technological, operational and strategic development.
He claimed to had studied in the United States and holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Economic Engineering from the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, a master's degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology, all in the USA.
Prior to his return from the United
States, 'Dr' Afaglo worked on contractual basis in various organisations and was also an associate lecturer at the Howard University.
Persol Limited
Meanwhile, the company that submitted the lowest bid for the SSNIT contract, Persol Limited, has refuted the claims advanced for rejecting its proposal.
The trust had said the company met all but one of the criteria, which was the absence of a signature from the person given the power of attorney.
But Persol's boss, Mr Micheal Quarshie, told Joy FM on Monday that his company provided all the required documents directed by SSNIT.
