Demands by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) for the dissolution of the Board of Directors and Management of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) raise eyebrows.
The crux of the issue lies in the fact that UTAG members do not contribute to SSNIT and are therefore not part of the Scheme.
Critics argue that UTAG’s call for changes within SSNIT’s management is unfounded, as the association’s members do not participate in the SSNIT Scheme.
Instead, UTAG members are part of a different pension scheme, the Ghana University Staff Superannuation Scheme (GUSSS).
GUSSS is a specialized pension scheme exclusively available to senior members or professionals who join the university, with an entry age of forty-five.
Established in 1961/62 as a replica of the UK-based Federated Superannuation Scheme for Universities, GUSSS has been designed to meet the specific needs of university staff in Ghana.
The scheme underwent a significant revision in 1976 by the Public Universities of Ghana, which include the University of Ghana (UG) in Legon, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, and the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in Cape Coast.
Over time, it has expanded to include the University of Education, Winneba; University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale; and the University of Mines and Technology (UMT) in Tarkwa.
The Vice-Chancellors of these universities oversee the coordination of the GUSSS scheme, ensuring it meets the retirement needs of its members.
It is rather the junior staff of the universities under the umbrella called Teachers and Educational Workers Union of Ghana (TEWU) who are members of the SSNIT scheme.
The rationale behind UTAG’s demand for the dissolution of the SSNIT Board of Directors and Management remains under scrutiny.
