By John Sheka Tarawalie
The National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) on Tuesday 8th June 2021 took Public Education on Social Security to the Sierra Leone Teacher’s Union (SLTU) in Bo City.
The move was for teachers to widen their knowledge on the processes and procedures of NASSIT as well as to address SLTU Members’ information mismatch.
In his opening statement as chairman of the program, President for Sierra Leone Teachers Union, Alhaji Mohamed S. Bangura said the engagement is very important and welcomed all the teachers and thanked them for honoring the call.
The Commissioner for the Teaching Service Commission Conrad Sackey said he is delighted to grace the occasion for teachers, noting that the main purpose is to support NASSIT and SLTU by encouraging teachers in the country to verify their details. He added that all teachers have the right to update their details with NASSIT and encouraged teachers to accept the process and update their details.
He went on to say that if teachers don’t update their details, they will have problems in future accessing their retirement benefits. Commissioner Sackey disclosed that they have their office in Bo and encouraged teachers to go there and report their problems.
Director General of NASSIT, Mohamed Faud Daboh said he is overwhelmed with the turnout of teachers, adding that this shows how concerned the teachers are about the NASSIT processes.
The DG said they are in Bo City to engage teachers in the Southern Region on Public Education on Social Security. He added that the engagement is to deepen the knowledge of teachers on the NASSIT scheme processes and procedures; cleaning up of the current data with the sector in preparation for the new software; to eliminate the submission of wrong and or incomplete membership data on the registration and update forms; to educate relevant authorities on their obligations in the endorsement of NASSIT operational instruments; to raise awareness among teachers on the dangers of presenting or endorsing wrong data; to refresh the minds of teachers and educate recruits on the NASSIT benefits and also to address the attendant issues and establish a platform for continuous engagement with teachers.
DG Daboh continued to say they are in Bo to correct the details of teachers because most of the problems many pensioners are facing is due to a gap in their contribution. He added that their responsibility as an institution is to pay retirement benefits to pensioners who have the correct details with NASSIT.
The Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh thanked the teachers for their service, adding that they as a government recognize the good work of teachers. The minister further said that he loves teachers so much not because of politics but because he came from a family of teachers and that he knows how difficult it is to be a teacher.
The Minister revealed that there are 85 thousand teachers in Sierra Leone that are on record but that there are only 35 thousand teachers on government payroll. He said teachers should be grateful to NASSIT and the SLTU for trying to correct the details of all teachers in the country. He encouraged all teachers to go to the TSC and correct their details.
The Minister further revealed that they now have a system were teachers with special skills can retire at the age of 65 and that as a government, they have made it a priority to seek the welfare of teachers in the country.
