Former Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship & Innovation Programme (NEIP), Kofi Ofosu Nkansah, has defended the recruitment of temporary staff under his tenure, insisting that no illegalities were committed.
Reacting to the recent suspension of NEIP staff over employment-related issues, Ofosu Nkansah stated in a Facebook post on Sunday that the recruitment was necessary to fill critical human resource gaps.
“On the NEIP HR issues, nothing illegal was done. When I took over, there were HR gaps we had to fill to qualify us for our World Bank Programmes, for example, because there wasn’t even a Procurement Unit,” he explained.
According to him, temporary staff were engaged and placed on allowances, a practice he insists was in full compliance with regulations, adding that since they were not regular staff, only employment tax was paid on their behalf.
“So we filled those gaps with temporary staff and put them on allowances. Allowances are not illegal. You don’t pay SSNIT on allowances. You only pay PAYE, and it was done,” he clarified.
His response follows NEIP’s announcement of a temporary staff suspension due to legal and financial complications surrounding their employment. While the current NEIP management has cited legal concerns, Ofosu Nkansah’s remarks suggest the employment arrangements were within legal bounds.
