..reasons for Dormelevo’s dismissal reloaded
The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has found itself in an age-cheating scandal involving Laurette Korkor Asante Otchere, a cousin to the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, who is the Deputy Director General at the Trust.
Mrs Otchere, who clocks sixty years in a matter of days, and is expected to proceed on her compulsory retirement on November 12, 2022, has altered her date of birth to enable her to hang on to her job for another two years as SSNIT’s Deputy Director, Operations and Benefits.
Laurette, who is also a blood sister of President Akufo-Addo’s Executive Secretary, Asante Bediatuo, had her records entered in the SSNIT database as aged 57 and 10 months, instead of 59-years-old and allocated Social Security Number (SS No-E166411120021) to enable her to retire in 2024.
Coincidentally, her brother, Nana Asante Bediatuo, had gotten on the instruction of President Akufo-Addo, sacked Daniel Yao Dormelevo, from office as the Auditor General on the claim that he had altered his age to remain in office upon attaining the mandatory retirement age of 60.
Many are watching with keen interest, whether a similar order will be given in the case of Laurette.
Government through Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, is said to have issued a circular stating it will no longer grant any post retirement contract to public servants, and this appears to be the reason behind Laurette Asante Otchere’s age manipulation to remain at post.
The source document she used to support her registration as a SSNIT contributor is the national insurance Identity card which bears a falsified date of birth (DOB) as November 12, 1964.
Per her original date of birth, Laurette Korkor Otchere, should be celebrating her sixtieth birthday next month, November 12, 2022, as the respective age stated in her travelling passports bears 12/11/1962 as her date of birth.
Indeed, she had lived in the US for years and used 12/11/1962 as her true age.
The Americans will be surprised at her new age.
Interestingly, Laurette Asante Otchere, has been part of the SSNIT management led by its Director General, John Ofori-Tenkorang that instituted measures in place that led to lots of employees being caught with fake educational certificates and other dubious qualifications.
While, some were sent home quietly, others, including MIS Manager, Caleb Afaglo, were put on criminal trial.
It is unclear, if other management members and the board chaired by Madam Elizabeth Akua Ohene are aware of this development.
Laurette, also backdated information on the date of entry onto the scheme as April 17, 2017, being the date she was rather appointed as Deputy Director-General in charge of Operations and Benefits. Other details on her file showed there was an initial entry into the system on April 3, 2017.
According to the Pensions Act which governs SSNIT’s operations, the maximum age at which a person may join the social security scheme is forty-five years.
However, at the time Korkor Otchere was appointed as one of the three deputy directors of SSNIT in 2017, she was already 54 years old, which per the SSNIT regulations, makes her ineligible to enroll on the scheme as a SSNIT contributor and a potential beneficiary of the scheme.
An online publication, Whatsup News, has also reported on this matter, saying that on public records, Mrs. Laurette Korkor Asante Otchere is a Ghanaian national who holds a Doctorate in Jurisprudence from Rutgers University School of Law, New Jersey, USA. She is a Labour and Employment Attorney with over 20 years of extensive legal practice.
She also holds a degree in Economics from Barnard College, Columbia University, USA and is a Certified Professional in Human Resources (SHRM-CP). Her recent working experience includes the following key positions: • Executive Director, Labour & Employee Relations, State Oriented District of Newark, NJ, USA • Contract Attorney – Hess Oil Corporation, NJ, USA • Attorney – Harvey Johnson Law Office, NJ, USA • Board Member – State of New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, NJ, USA; Deputy Director General (Operations and Benefits) of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Board Member of Société Génèrale Ghana.
Mrs. Otchere’s case is one of many instances of crony politics of convenience of the Akufo-Addo administration.
The President’s family and friends have virtually captured all key state installations and institutions.
For instance, the President’s Executive Secretary Nana Asante Bediatuo is his cousin. Bediatuo is joined in government by his father, Kofi Darko Asante, who chairs the Governing Council of GIMPA. His mother, Mrs. Vida Asante, is the head of the Presidential Household and his brother, Kwesi Kuntu Asante, sits on the Board of Ghana Hostels.
The case of Lauretta Asante (marital name, Otchere) is just a completion of the family circle in government.
The penchant for President Akufo Addo to stuff the government with his friends and family, has resulted in the government being the most corrupt in the history of Ghana, critics have noted.
