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Chasing the ghosts out of the national pension payroll
A ghost is an apparition of a dead person which is believed to appear or become manifest to the living, typically as nebulous image. It is the soul of a dead person believed to be an inhabitant of an unseen world or to appear to the living in bodily likeness. The word ghost has been corrupted and used in our everyday life. For example, we often hear of ghost names that have found their way into payrolls of public institutions and workplaces, resulting in the loss of huge sums of revenue at the expense of the nation. Moneys are paid to faceless people as a result of negligence on the part of officials who manage the public purse, thereby causing financial loss to the state.
HUGE AMOUNT RECOVERED FROM GHOST NAMES
Recently, Ghanaians were told that the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), in an aggressive drive to rid its books of ghost pensioners, has raked in over GH¢320 million savings which otherwise, would have gone to ghosts or faceless beneficiaries of the Pension Scheme who had passed on without their knowledge. According to the Director-General of SSNIT, Dr John Ofori-Tenkorang, the amount which had been withheld since 2018, covered the category of deceased pensioners whose guaranteed pensions entitlement had been exhausted.
“For persons who are on PNDC Law 247, that is the age of 72 and pensions on Act 766, that is the age 75…but at the moment, no pensioner who is on Act 766 is that old because, they recently just started going on pension. Every year, we have to ensure that pensioners reach out to the Trust and undertake their biometric registration…however, we know that this can come at an inconvenience for pensioners who may be bedridden or incapacitated and cannot come to the SSNIT offices,” he told journalists outside parliament on July 27, 2022.
COMPLETION OF PENSIONER CERTIFICATE
He explained before the Public Accounts Committee that, in order to ensure that payment of funds to deceased pensioners aged 72 years and above, under PNDCL 247 and those aged 75 years and above under Act 766, ceases, all pensioners within the stated age categories, were required by policy to complete a Pensioner Certificate once every year to confirm that they are alive. “Those who do not complete the certificates are deemed not to be alive and, therefore would have their names deleted from the pension payroll,” he told the committee.
He further explained that the SSNIT in 2018, changed the Pensioner Certificate renewal frequency from once every three years to once a year in a move to promptly identify and delete deceased pensioners age 72 years and above, adding that the Trust has since implemented a number of measures including Electronic tracking, deactivation of names of pensioners due to annual Pension Certificates Renewal in the new Operational System to tackle issues concerning deceased pensioners.
PLUGGING THE LOOPHOLES IN PAYROLL
The Director-General deserves commendation for the pragmatic policies put in place to plug the loopholes within the payroll of pensioners that enabled the country to rake in a lot of money that could have gone to the drain. The Pension Scheme had over the years been fraught with enormous challenges in which moneys were paid to deceased pensioners through their banks to their families and relatives, because of lack of information about them due to failure to report about their death by relatives and relations to the Trust for their names to be expunged or taken out from the beneficiaries’ payroll.
That problem might not come from SSNIT per se. It could be either from the establishments or institutions where the deceased worked, of which the failure by the employers to inform the Trust about the death or the reluctance of the deceased’s families to communicate the information on the demise of their relations to the SSNIT. In the case of pensioners, even though their entitlements have been duly paid to the deceased persons before they passed on to eternity, their monthly allowances will continue to be paid at the blind side of the Trust since there is no available information concerning their death. For this reason, the country will continue to have ghost names on the SSNIT payroll.
INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATIONS BY SSNIT
Under the Pension Act, SSNIT upon receiving information of the death of a member including evidence of death will conduct its own investigations to ascertain the death and afterwards request the nominated and approved beneficiaries to apply for the benefits. If the deceased had not yet retired, most schemes will pay out a lump sum that is typically two or four times their salary. If the person who had died was under 75, this lump sum is tax-free. This type of pension usually pays a taxable survivor’s pension to the deceased spouse, civil partner or dependent.
For the benefit of my cherished readers and patrons, I will like to dwell a bit on the Pension Act of Ghana as it relates to deceased persons to enable them to be abreast of how it operates. The National Pension (Amendment) Act 883 was passed by Parliament on 31st December 2014 with the objectives of reducing the age exemption of those who Act 766 became applicable from its inception on January 1, 2010 from 55 years to 50 years and a mandatory contribution scheme with monthly contributions of five per cent on the basic salary of all employees among others.
WHAT THE PENSION LAW SAYS ABOUT DECEASED PENSIONER
After death, the pension benefits vary depending on the type of pension you operate. More often, the spouse of the pensioner can receive benefits upon the account holder’s death. That will be equal to quarter of the emolument for each completed six monthly period of qualifying service, subject to a minimum of 16.5 times the emoluments. Some pensions end at death, meaning that no beneficiary or family member gets the right to claim the pension. However, other pensions provide for payments to surviving spouse or dependent children for a few years and longer for others.
I am not an expert in pension matters but from my little research, I can conclude that the National Pension Scheme, is such a laudable venture which every worker in the country should take advantage of because there are more prospects involved in the scheme, especially when one retires from active service and has nothing to depend on, but to rely on your pension allowance. Life after retirement, is not an easy thing at all, because that is the time you will face a lot of challenges, especially healthwise. You have to invest a lot in medications to keep your body fit, healthy and active, and your pension money, although meagre can at least support, sustain and help you to manage yourself somehow.
PAYMENT OF COLA TO PENSIONERS
This is an issue which should be well considered by the government and to take a critical look at it because of the meagre allowances enjoyed by pensioners in the public service to cushion and help them to manage the high cost of living.
The management of the scheme must consider the recent petition by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and other well- meaning Ghanaians about the need to pay Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) to pensioners in view of the current economic hardship to enable them to make ends meet. It is also important for workers to fight for better monthly wages and salaries instead of allowances, so that when they finally retire from active service, their pension entitlements will be higher, since the calculation of end- of- service pension is based on monthly salaries not allowances.
The scheme should be well protected and safeguarded, while at the same time ensuring that people are honest to report the death of their deceased relatives and family members, to enable the management of the scheme to expunge their names from the pension payroll to maintain and safeguard the integrity of the scheme.
By Charles Neequaye
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When Abigail Fremah steps up to the Armwrestling table, the noise fades, the tension settles, and order takes over.
Despite a calm, but firm and meticulous disposition, she has become one of the quiet forces shaping Ghana’s growing reputation in the sport, not as an athlete, but a referee trusted on the continental stage.
Abigail’s journey into Armwrestling did not begin at the table. Like many Ghanaian sports enthusiasts, she grew up playing several disciplines. Football was her first love, but she also featured in volleyball and basketball during her school years. Sports, she says, was simply a way of life not just for her.
“It runs through the family. All my siblings are into sports,” she stated.
“I was involved in almost every sport in school, football, volleyball, netball, hockey; I did everything,” she recalls.
Her academic background in Health, Physical Education and Recreation laid a solid foundation for her sporting career. While on scholarship at the university (University of Cape Coast), she often used her modest budget to support young athletes, sometimes sharing skills and even T-shirts at programmes she attended. Giving back, she explains, has always been part of her motivation.
However, as she matured as an athlete, Abigail made a critical self-assessment.
“Armwrestling involves a lot of strength,” she admits. “Looking at my body type, I realised I couldn’t fit properly as a competitive athlete.”
That moment of honesty pushed her to a different trajectory but equally important path in sports; which is officiating.
During her National Service, she was encouraged by Mr Charles Osei Asibey, the President of the Ghana Armwrestling Federation (GAF), to consider officiating. He introduced her to a technical official, Mr Hussein Akuerteh Addy, who formally took her through the basics of Armwrestling officiating in 2021.
“I started as a case official,” she says. “We moved from region to region every week, officiating competitions. That’s where it all began.”
By 2022, Abigail was actively involved in national assignments, though she missed the African Championship that year. Her breakthrough came in 2023, when Ghana hosted the African Armwrestling Championship.
It was her first experience officiating at a major international competition and it changed everything.
“That was my first national and international exposure at the same time,” she says. “It really opened my eyes.”
Today, Abigail is a World Junior Armwrestling Referee, a status earned through performance, consistency and discipline. She explains that progression in officiating was not automatic.
“It’s all about performance, your appearance at African Championships, your conduct, how you handle pressure; that’s what takes you to the world level,” she stressed.
As a referee, Abigail’s priority is safety and fairness. Armwrestling, she notes, comes with risks, particularly injuries to the wrists, elbows, shoulders and arms.
“If athletes don’t follow the rules or refuse to listen to officials, injuries can happen,” she explains, adding that focus was everything.
Before every match, she ensures that all equipment which includes elbow pads, hand pegs and table alignment were properly set. Athletes are not allowed to cover their elbows, must grip correctly, and must follow the referee’s commands precisely.
“We make sure everything is fixed before the grip,” she says. “Once we say ‘Ready… Go’, there should be no confusion.”
She is also firm on discipline. Warnings are issued for infractions, and repeated misconduct attracts penalties.
“The referee must be respected, if you don’t listen, the rules will deal with you,” she says.
Abigail credits her confidence partly to her sporting family background. Her mother was a volleyball player, while other family members also participated in sports. Though they were initially concerned about her safety, her rise to the top reassured them.
“They were afraid at first,” she admits. “But they were also very proud, especially because some of them never got the opportunity to reach this level.”
Looking ahead, Abigail is optimistic about the future of Armwrestling in Ghana. In less than a decade, the country has produced African and world-level medalists, a sign, she believes, of great things to come for Ghana.
“Whenever we go out, we come back with medals such as gold and silver,” she says, and to her that was a sign of growth.
In the next five to ten years, Abigail sees herself rising to become a World Master Referee, the highest officiating level in the sport. Until then, her routine remains intense, training four times a week, working closely with athletes, standing on her feet for hours, and constantly refining her understanding of the rules.
“I love this sport,” she says simply. “That love is what keeps me going.”
Abigail encouraged women to be bold and intentional about their place in sports saying “don’t limit yourself because of fear or stereotypes.”
She also urged women to invest in learning, discipline and consistency, stressing that respect was earned through performance.
For Abigail, as Ghana’s armwrestlers continue to make their mark, she will remain where she is most effective at the table, ensuring the game is played right.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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As he had promised Aperkeh, the elderly man and his wife and three daughters stopped by Aperkeh’s parents’ house. Mr Amando and his family were preparing to settle in for the night.
“Brother Ben and family”, Mr Joshua Amando said warmly, “although I know you are here on a matter that can hardly be described as joyous, it is still good to see you. You are welcome. Please sit down while I bring you water”.
“Yes, we will take water, even though we are hardly thirsty, because this is our home”.
“Okay, Ben”, he started after they had drank, “Let me go straight to the point. My daughter Priscilla has told me about the goings on between her brother Aperkeh and our daughter Stella.
Before informing me, Priscilla had expressed concern to Aperkeh about some habits he is adopting, especially the late nights and the drinking. She tells me that one Saturday morning, she was there when Stella complained about his drinking and some girls who had come to the house to look for him, and he assaulted her.
I called him and complained, but all he could say was that I don’t know what caused him to react that way, so I could not judge him. Now he does not answer my calls.
I have sent Priscilla to his house to call him, but he has refused to come. Unfortunately, Ben, my son is a much different person than the young boy who completed university and started work at the bank. I am really embarrassed about his treatment of Stella”.
“Joshua, let me assure you that even though what is happening is very unfortunate, it will not affect our relationship.
We have been friends since childhood, and I thought that with their parents’ blessing, the relationship between Aperkeh and Stella would grow to become a blessing to all of us. But there appears to be a real challenge now.
Stella thinks that Aperkeh wants her out of his house, and indeed Aperkeh himself told me that, about an hour ago.
So I’m taking my daughter home. I suggest that you do what you can to straighten him out, but if it does not work out, let’s accept the situation and continue to be one family.
I am sure that being the well behaved girl that she is, Stella will meet a young man who will cherish her. Fortunately, this problem is happening early in the day, so they can sort things out if possible, or move on with their lives if they are unable to stay together”.
“I’m really grateful for that, Ben. I will do my best in the next few days to reason with him, because apart from the relationship with Stella, Aperkeh is risking his job and career with this lifestyle.
A good job and salary offers an opportunity to gather momentum in life, not to destroy yourself”.
“Okay Brother Joshua. We will say goodnight. I hope to hear positive news from you”.
As he descended in the lift from the fourth to the ground floor, Aperkeh wondered who would be waiting at the reception to see him at nine on Monday morning. He had spent good time with both of his new girls during the weekend, so it had to be someone else. He got out of the lift and pulled a face when he saw Priscilla.
“Priscilla”, he said as he sat down by her, “what do you want here? You know Monday morning is a busy time at the bank. I am a very busy person, so say what you want, I have work to do”.
“You are very funny, Aperkeh. You are telling me, your sister, that you have work to do, so I should hurry up? Okay, Dad says I should advise you to come home tonight, because he wants to discuss the issue of Stella with you. He sent me to you twice, and you did not come.
He has tried to call you quite a number of times, but you have refused to answer his calls. He says that if you do not come tonight, you will be very surprised at what he will do. He says you will not like it at all, so better come.
“What is all this? Why won’t you people leave me alone? Stella is very disrespectful. I told her that if she wanted to continue to live in my house, she must obey me. It is that simple.
She chose to continue ordering me about, controlling me in my own house, so I told her that if she could not live under my conditions she should leave. And she left. In fact, her own father came and took her away. So what again?’’
“How did she disobey or control you? Was she complaining about your continuous drinking and late nights? And did you slap her on several occasions because of that? Did you tell her that if she could not live under your conditions she should leave? You actually said that to her father? You have forgotten that before she came to live with you, our two parents met and agreed, and gave it their blessing?’
“Why don’t you leave, Priscilla? I don’t have to listen to all that”. “Okay, I will go. Your father who gave birth to you and educated you to university level sends me to you, and you ask me to leave? I wish you would defy him, and refuse to come home as he’s telling you, because he is planning to give you the discipline you badly need. Let me tell you. Stella is such a beautiful and decent girl, and I assure you that someone will grab her before you say Jack. You are only 30 years old, and you have already become a drunkard”.
As he walked towards the lift, Aperkeh decided on what to do. He would go home, and calmly listen to what his father had to say. The old man was very unpredictable, and he wouldn’t dare ignore him. So he would take all the insults and threats, but as for Stella she was history. According to Priscilla, Stella was beautiful and all that, but she had not seen the two curvaceous princesses who were all over him, ready to do anything he asked. And these were not barely literate waakye girls, but university graduates from wealthy homes, really classy girls. With stuff like that, who needs a waakye girl? He smiled as he took his seat.
A few minutes to five, Aperkeh was packing up to leave for home to meet his dad when his phone rang. It was Priscilla.
“Aperkeh, Dad says you don’t need to bother to come. Stella’s dad says she came to him early this morning to plead that she would rather stay at home than return to your house. She thinks you are already decided to be rid of her, and she does not want to risk being assaulted again. So it’s done. You can go ahead and enjoy the nice life you have started”.
Before he could tell her to go to hell, Priscilla hanged up the line. He was partially stung that his dad had virtually cut him off. The last thing anyone would want was to fall out of relationship with his own family, which had always supported him.
But the truth was he was no longer interested in Stella. What was wrong with going by one’s feelings? He could only hope that one day, his parents and sister would try to reason with him.
By Ekow de Heer
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