The National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) manages Sierra Leone’s public pension scheme. The idea was born in 2001, mandated to ensure continuity in financial security for all workers in the public and private sectors when they attain retirement age. It is a statutory Act of Parliament passed during the administration of the late President Ahmad Tejan Kabba of blessed memory.
Accomplishments
Under the leadership of Mohamed Fuad Daboh, Director General of NASSIT, he inherited a system where record keeping of pensioners was nothing good to write home about. Through his vision and expertise he ensured that all records of retirees were upgraded to meet international standards. Thus, the headache of tracing pensioners’ records has become a thing of the past.
Mr. Fuad Daboh’s professional skills and experience was tested when he introduced and launched the Project 54+ to fix incorrect workers data before retirement which eliminated the delays for payment to retirees.
Moving forward to solidify his transformational strategies at NASSIT, Fuad Daboh moved a step ahead to complete the Sewa Grounds Market Multipurpose Complex to enhance households’ livelihood particularly vulnerable women. It could be recalled that the Sewa Grounds Project was left incomplete and abandoned by the previous government. Today, the Sewa Grounds Market is one of the legacies of Mr. Fuad Daboh which was auspiciously commissioned by His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada Bio.
Not satisfied with his achievements, the NASSIT Director General crafted an ambitious project t to take NASSIT to higher height by venturing into the informal sector for which modalities are being put in place to unveil it in the near future. NASSIT’s presence in the informal sector doubt will leverage the opportunity for small businesses to contribute to the Social Insurance Trust in the event of old age and infirmity.
Freetown is not Sierra Leone. Therefore, Fuad Daboh’s insight directed him to establish regional offices in regional cities like Port Loko and Moyamba. It was indeed an innovative step in the right direction. It also strengthened and added quality to NASSIT’s service delivery. Moreover, it saves the time and hassle people residing in the provinces travelling down to Freetown to sort out their multiple transactions with NASSIT.
Under the guidance and direction of DG Fuad Daboh, he signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Chinese firm to upgrade Radisson Blu Hotel and Golden Tulip Kimbima in Freetown.
Last but not the least, Fuad Daboh and his team ensured that institutions who had defaulted in paying their employees NASSIT’s contributions adhere to the NASSIT Act. Going beyond payment, the result-driven Fuad Daboh went a step further to recognise institutions who abide by the regular payments of their employees’ Social Security contributions.
Certainly, Mr. Fuad Daboh has raised the status of NASSIT to enviable heights from a sleeping institution to a proactive and result-driven entity. Though NASSIT may not be a 100% perfect institution but its current leader will leave an indelible footprint for posterity to judge.
