The NIS is now a national monstrosity

Oct 14, 2023 Letters

---

(NIS: An Open Letter to His Excellency Dr. Irfaan Ali Part 2)

Dear Editor,

It is a personal joy to my heart to note the fact that my various letters in the media over the decades and my most recent ones published mostly by Guyana Times and the Kaieteur News have reached the mighty heart of a humble and decent president, our President Dr. Irfaan Ali.

It is obvious that my letters, these two most referred to letters in the media have impacted the consciousness of a President whom we can say is truly people oriented and people caring.  I applaud His Excellency for moving with the vit, vigor and vitality that he is moving with; along with timelines that obviously would result in ‘heads rolling.’

Time line or no time line “heads need to roll.’  Some big ones in the NIS whom seem to think that they were unapproachable, ‘too big to talk’ to simple citizens and even inclusive of prominent ones need to face the music. As I said in my previous letters, it would appear that some of these people were sadistic who enjoy torturing the citizens of this country instead of trying to make it possible for the contributors and citizens of this country to live with some respect and dignity.

I stand with the opinion that there is a conspiracy from time immemorial within the NIS that they were harassing people to give up the fight! To give up any expectations and to lay dead in frustration and depression! Many of them are suffering from serious depression caused by disappointments and heartaches. The NIS, due to its improper management and poor inspection of employers, has caused many to go fully mental and even homeless living in the streets.

Therefore, with this in mind, the NIS needs more than a secretariat or a few personalities to help track these persons contributions. We need a high-powered fraud investigative team from the top powerhouses of the Criminal Investigation Department to listen to people and look into the cases of people who were refused and allowed to get infirm and even died. Some NIS personnel had established systems by which they were drawing the NIS from these extremely ill and even dead persons. It is alleged and even claimed by many that this is what is taking place within the heart of the NIS even today. It might be prudent for the Government to invite Scotland Yard and the FBI as I believe that billions might have been pilfered from contributors and by fraud.

It is noted that His Excellency managed to close 4000 of such cases and that some NIS staffers were extremely dynamic and aggressive to see to it that people could get their benefits. I applaud these NIS staffers. I know also that there are some good people in the NIS mostly at the lower supervisory and managerial level. But like I said: herein lies the evidence of the fact that people could not source their benefits! Four thousand persons had to personally move to His Excellency our President.

Peoples of Guyana, Excellency President Ali, imagine if you had not intervened, what would have happened to all these monies that these persons are benefitting from if they were allowed to give up and die mostly in depression and frustration. The money would have enriched the NIS??? Maybe!

But some of it would have been played with, as it is believed to go into the pockets of some staff within the NIS who collect the pension. Our President and those involved in these NIS case resolution’s process, must know that an ant’s nest has been raised and that we need a powerful taskforce comprising the Private Sector, Unions, Ministry of Labour, Commissioner of Police and some prominent citizens who have knowledge and skills of the operations of the NIS. The aim of this task force must be to recommend prosecution when necessary. This task force must be able to have an open forum where peoples of this country who are affected or disaffected or just want to speak of their relatives who have died without getting their benefits or to express their emotions. The people of this country need to speak openly and the NIS Senior untouchable class must be able to sit there and listen to the cries! the woes! And the condemnations by the people.

One contribution missing:  This to my opinion seems to be the disgrace and the major bugbear that was created by the Board of Directors (old and new) and the Senior Management of the NIS to deny people their benefits. On confronting a senior NIS Board Director, he said this: ‘if they pay one, they will have a thousand more persons at the back waiting.’ I mentioned to this gentleman that if I go to court and show the Judge that this person overpaid by 30 contributions, the intention was not to underpay one or anything. And the fact is that the judges and magistrates have discretionary powers. This top most director even seems sympathetic and said that it is not a bad idea to go to court with your case and then that will create a format to fix all the other cases. But I am calling on the peoples of this country with some caring lawyers who want to make their names even some junior ones to take this matter up pro bono, for a group of Guyanese where we can contribute to the court cost and do something ultrapatriotic for citizens of this country who are pushed into madness, homelessness and death. Come on, lawyers let us do something, especially you new, younger ones as a team and then from that you can possibly create a law firm of your group.

On a personal basis, my wife Mrs. Latchmin Khan even though qualified and was approved was not paid. Then we got a call from NIS stating that they wanted more information. And the information was provided and still she was not getting paid. A prominent one in that department, whose name I do not wish to mention at this time, had called. But after sending the requested information refused to take my calls and refused to reply to me. And it is the name of an Indo Guyanese woman. It is the most that I can say at the moment. I made countless calls and voice notes to her on her NIS WhatsApp number. Which can be useful as evidence although not applicable in a court of law.  Then I called another most elegant junior supervisor who followed up. And I called again and messaged and who followed up again, and again. And she kept pursuing and then eventually, we were told that Mrs. Latchmin Khan’s pension had been placed into her bank account. Now, what about those ordinary, poor, simple persons as the old vendor lady that I am talking about above; not having the education to push, the ability to push; not having the health to travel, not being able to sit for a day, to come another day, and to come another day, then they fall ill, gets bedridden and die, what would be the case there? How could they do the movements? How could they do the battle?  How could they get the benefits they are entitled to? The person is dead Mr. President! Dead, cursing the NIS and the government of course.

This same lady that I am talking about and I will state her name here is Mrs. Umawattie Singh, NIS number: A19139815. Having paid over 30 extra contributions was then told that she has overpaid and to come and uplift the overpayment. And I replied on her behalf as the family came to me that we will not collect the overpayment. They were insisting to collect it as it would appear that the NIS was trying to set her up. Then the NIS said that one contribution is missing. This proves my point, Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, that they were not feeding the proper information to her as they do not do similarly to most people of this country concerning their contributions and the number of contributions required to close the case at the age of 60. Simply because they do not want them to collect their pension. So, they keep them in the dark, they keep the people in a state of ignorance, but ignorance with expectation which is a part of the conspiracy of the Board of Directors and the Management of the NIS to deny persons their benefits. On pursuing the matter, we were encouraged to go in and uplift the ‘donation’ they were making to close the case so that she would not get a pension. It is obvious that the NIS like to give persons “donations” to pull wool over their eyes and sweetening those that cannot fight their cases, then case close! NIS equals NIS get richer with people blood, sweat and tears!

Mr. President, the NIS keep saying that they cannot do anything with this one missing contribution, which I am blaming the NIS as part of their conspiracy to create the torture and situation that the people miss the one contribution. And NIS says: “It’s the Law”, uncaringly (I have a copy of their response where the NIS says “it’s the law”). So, the NIS Management and it will appear the Board of Directors are salivating over the fact that it is one contribution missing because “it is the law” and forgetting the sacrifices the people had to go through. In this case, this vendor lady does not have an education, cannot fight for herself. Her husband is bedridden. She also will be bedridden soon! But now entitled to her benefits, she has to be crawling on the pavements to try and sell some fruits and vegetables to make a living. When she could relax on her lifetime of sacrifices to pay the NIS. She was intentionally led by the NIS to overpay and yet underpay by one.

So Mr. President, Cabinet, powerhouses of Guyana, this archaic ridiculous law that governs NIS needs to be modernized.  Further, those who are enjoying the power within the NIS and refusing to meet individuals even if sent by a Minister of Government, and will refuse to take a call for an appointment by a Guyanese citizen prominent or not speaks volumes of what this stench of an institution really is.  An institution that is supposed to be providing excellent service to the people instead of operating as dictators and destroyers of people’s lives and feeling as if they are untouchables.

Sincerely,

Hajji Dr. Roshan Khan

---

• contributors, decades, dignity, Dr. Irfaan Ali, Hajji Dr. Roshan Khan

---