Demoralised and badly treated Staff of N.I.S

Jan 09, 2023 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – We would like to thank you and the Publisher for a very good job you all have been doing in assisting all vulnerable persons in this country who don’t know where to turn for assistance. There has been a big fraud at N.I.S involving staff from the New Amsterdam Office, Records Section, Finance Section and Pensions Section in Georgetown. The persons guilty at New Amsterdam were punished along with innocent persons who don’t know anything. That fraud involves millions of dollars but was kept a secret by senior management and board. Investigations are still ongoing.

The persons in Georgetown were not punished although the audit reports and evidence confirm that they were guilty. This is so because they are friends of the most Senior Manager in the organisation. These same persons continue on a daily basis to do their questionable activities with no one being sanctioned. They even asked the pensioners for money to have their claims processed at Brickdam. They demand it with menace because the persons are given envelopes at the counters to put the money. There is evidence on our phones but who can we trust to disclose.

There are serious instances of discrimination, favouritism and nepotism in the organization, persons not qualified for positions are being rewarded for their loyalty to gossip and carry news to the most high Office at Brickdam. Positions are being created for them for their loyalty. We are totally fed up and need help because it is taking a toll on our health and family. Every day, we are being threatened of losing our jobs by the Board and high Managers; not for wrong doings but, because we speak out against the anti-democratic standing in the organization.

Another point is that at recent outreaches in Berbice, we have spoken to two Directors of the Board, about our daily problems. They told the most senior manager of what transpired right there in Berbice and now we are being threatened of our jobs and are being discriminated against. Imagine we have to buy toilet tissues and other cleaning agents for our own in doing the organization work. The Stores at Camp Street never have. We pool our money. What makes us different in Berbice than our colleagues in Georgetown. Even some of the other offices in Essequibo and Demerara complain of putting their personal money to buy the things that management must provide.

All the offices are in a state that is not befitting for an Office environment. How can we produce having to work in such conditions. We invite the media houses to visit all Offices and they would see for themselves. We cannot take it any more since we are blamed for not producing but there are inhibitors to us working and serve our population. We are willing to serve but how can we under such conditions.

In closing, we call on the President, the Opposition Leader, Minister of Finance and all other stakeholders of democracy to assist us. Why are the innocent persons punished and not the guilty ones right in Georgetown? Imagine in the fraud pension processed within days at Brickdam and we have persons waiting for months and years and still cannot get their payments. There is evidence to show that people paid persons at Camp Street to update their contributions in the fraud. These are all loyalists to the most high office in the organization.

Please we call on every media house to visit every office in Berbice and other areas to interview us and we will talk. We have all the proof of all the fraud on recording and documents that we are willing to release to any media house right now. Just visit us and we will comply since we cannot bear it anymore. Every day we go to work not knowing what is next because we are being threatened of our jobs when we speak out by members of the Board and Senior Management.

In concluding, we call on the authorities to insist on having an external audit very soon of the organization since internal cannot be trusted they are loyal to management. The procurement section is also full of fraud as there is a waste of the citizens money. Only friends and cronies have contract.  In one instance, we have the evidence of the Linden Office residence and the Leonora Office where the contractor is closely aligned to the Manager who was at that Office and is a close associate of the most senior manager at Brickdam. He even did work at their homes and N.I.S paid for that. There are more evidence that we are willing to give out. Please we are in desperately in need of help. If that is not given we will share information in the form of cogent evidence to everyone including the insured population and all media houses.

Sincerely
Demoralized members of Staff
NIS.

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