By Spy Uganda

Kampala: The newly appointed National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Managing Director, Patrick Ayota has asked court to dismiss the accusations by his predecessor, Richard Byarugaba that his appointment is illegal.

Ayota further noted his appointment by the Minister for Gender, Betty Amongi is more than legal because he is qualified for the job.

The development comes after Byarugaba was allowed to amend his case to include Ayota whom he said his appointed as NSSF managing director is illegal since it was intended to defeat his earlier case against Minister Amongi.

According to Byarugaba, Ayota’s appointment as the substantive Managing Director for NSSF was unlawful and contravenes the National Social Security Fund Act.

Now to counter the above accusations, Ayota stormed High Court on Thursday saying his appointment as the NSSF Managing Director by the minister was based on his excellent  performance as the deputy Managing Director as opposed to Byarugaba’s accusations.

“I have all the requisite competences and work experience to serve NSSF as its Managing Director as determined and confirmed by the board before recommending me to the minister for appointment. My appointment was done lawfully, is valid, and was not done to defeat the present application for judicial review as alleged or at all,” Ayota said

According to Ayota,  it is in interest of justice, fairness and equity that the application be dismissed .

“It  would be against public interest for the Fund to be without strategic leadership which would have catastrophic ramifications for the Fund and would I expose members’ savings amounting to over shs18 trillion to risks of misuse and stagnation in growth,”Ayota noted.

“The exercise of this court’s discretion and the interests of justice favour the stability of the Fund as opposed to the unmeritorious cries of a single disgruntled person whose recommendation for appointment was rejected based on sound, legal, and cogent reasons,” he added.

Byarugaba dragged Minister Betty Amongi and Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka to Civil Division of the High Court in Kampala for not renewing his contract at NSSF noting  that having served NSSF for two terms, before the end of the second one, the minister tried to end it prematurely through a letter in which she claimed he ought to have left office for having clocked the mandatory 60 years age of retirement.

Byarugaba said whereas the NSSF board of directors  basing on the fund’s exciting performance during his two terms and  the need to complete the 10 year strategic plan for the NSSF for stable continuity recommended that his contract renewal but Minister Among declined and instead started raising various allegations about him including financial impropriety,  defiance of presidential directives, corruption,  collusion with contractors among others.

With all the above, now, Byarugaba wants court to issue an order quashing the recommendation by the NSSF board of directors dated August, 17 ,2023 to minister Amongi in regards the appointment of Ayota as the substantive Managing Director for a period of five years.

He further noted that before being appointed as MD NSSF, Ayota was holding a statutory position as NSSF Deputy Managing Director on a fixed five year term which renders him ineligible for appointment as Managing Director.

Furthermore, Byarugaba wants court to dismiss minister Amongi’s letter appointing Ayota as the substantive NSSF Managing Director , a position he is not eligible to be appointed to.