Parliamentary Committee exposes petitioner against NSSF as a front for the Minister of Gender

Matua Job Richard, the hitherto petitioner who claimed to have petitioned the Minister of Gender, Labour & Social Development Hon Betty Amongi has this afternoon been exposed by the Parliamentary Committee investigating corporate governance at NSSF as having obtained documents from the same minister he claims to have petitioned.

He was appearing before the Parliament Select Committee investigating issues of corporate governance at the UGX 17.8 trillion National Social Security Fund (NSSF). Upon being questioned by the Committee Chairman Hon Mwine Mpaka, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mbarara City South, Matua said that he received all documents from the Minister of Gender, Labour & Social Development Hon Betty Among. “Before we let you go, can you tell us the source of this information and documents that you have given us?” Hon Mwine asked.

He claimed that he wrote to the Minister of Gender, Labour & Social Development Hon Betty Among to avail him with all the documents however, upon further questioning by the Committee Chairman and other members of the committee, he could neither produce a letter he wrote asking for the documents, nor could he produce a letter from the Minister responding to his request. As soon as the committee ordered him to produce the letters in a few hours, he claimed that he was “sick”, and could not return to the committee.Analysts are now wondering how a so-called petitioner and whistleblower could petition and whistle blow to the same minister who gave her documents including correspondences between the Ministry, the NSSF Board Chairman, and the NSSF officials.

Not so much was known of Job Richard Matua until recently when he started getting the attention of major media houses in the country.

“Who is sponsoring this man? In this country, passionate people are so few. We have to always ask who sent him. The man has been to all major media houses in the space of a week. Such attention and access are unprecedented.” An observer on social media questioned.The committee allowed him to submit his ‘evidence’ but wondered how and where he got all the official correspondences between the Fund’s officials including the Board Chairman and Managing Director among others. Sources told this website that President Yoweri Museveni was persuaded to allow an investigation based on information from the ‘petitioner’. The Inspectorate of Government is also investigating the Fund because of information provided by the petitioner.

Other members of the parliamentary committee investigating the matter include Workers MP Hon Charles Bakkabulindi, Hon Karim Masaba (Industrial Division, Mbale City), Hon Michael Kakembo (Entebbe Municipality), Hon Fortunate Nantongo (Kyotera District Woman), Hon Laura Kanushu (Persons with Disabilities), and Hon Amos Kankunda (Rwampara County).