Prime
Whistleblower in NSSF saga explains relationship with Amongi
Job Richard Matua. PHOTO/FILE/DAVID LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- According to the available evidence, Mr Matua wrote to Ms Amongi requesting for documents concerning the alleged mismanagement in NSSF on December 14, 2022, and received a response [from the minister] a day later.
A parliamentary select committee investigating the NSSF saga last week asked Mr Job Richard Matua to table all evidence to back his allegations.
And as the lawmakers wrapped up their activities of the first week of investigations on Friday, the select committee chairperson, Mr Mwine Mpaka (Mbarara City South), asked Mr Matua to name his source of evidence.
“I obtained all this evidence legally and I have a document to table to you to that effect. When the Prime Minister wrote to the Gender minister, directing for the re-appointment of [Mr Richard Byarugaba, the former managing director at NSSF], I got concerned,” Mr Matua said.
“So, I wrote to the Gender minister, demanding to have every document pertaining to NSSF. I wrote in my capacity as a person saving with NSSF and as an aspiring national leader of the party in power,” Mr Matua added.
Mr Mpaka then asked: “And the Ministry of Gender surrendered these documents freely?”
Mr Matua responded: “I wrote to the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development and it is where I got the documents,” adding, “Honourable Betty Ongom Amongi.”
Mr Mpaka further wondered how the minister could avail such confidential information to Mr Matua.
“And she gave you documents of board meetings at NSSF, documents regarding the pension administration system and even complaints regarding bribery and complaints from Coftu (Central Organisation of Free Trade Unions) and even the operational budget of the Fund?” he wondered.
But Mr Matua said he requested for all the documents to enable him to understand the NSSF operations.
“I called for every document because I wanted a totality of everything concerning NSSF,” he said.
According to the available evidence, Mr Matua wrote to Ms Amongi requesting for documents concerning the alleged mismanagement in NSSF on December 14, 2022, and received a response [from the minister] a day later.
In her letter, Ms Amongi responded to Mr Matua: “Refer to your letter dated December 14, 2022, requesting for documents. In respect to that, most of the documentations quoted in the press as per your request are petitions from other people, which I am forwarding to you as confidential documents.”
She continues: “Relatedly, the one for the retirement of the Managing Director and the Deputy Managing Director National Social Security Fund are attached for your perusal as confidential documents. I also want to inform you that this matter is being handled internally within [the] government and I assure you as [a] saver, that we shall resolve the matter in the best interest of the Fund.”
A section of Ugandans are already making conclusions that the minister might have assigned Mr Matua to help fight her personal battles, allegations the whistleblower denies.
“I am not deployed. There has been that allegation in the media that I am doing work for the Honourable Minister Betty Amongi. I am a pan Africanist,” he said, adding, “Our only interest is the national interest of creating social security for the people in the working age group in Uganda. So, I don’t have any other relationship outside that [circles],” he recently said in a talk show.
Mr Matua, among other things, accuses Mr Byarugaba of mismanaging the Fund. While speaking out on the matter last Friday, Mr Byarugaba informed members of the select committee that the allegations against him by Mr Matua were baseless and had made him cry.
