November 26, 2021
By: Morrison Koroma (Kenema)
Earlier in July 2021, some aggrieved retired teachers from different primary schools in Kenema expressed disappointment over the nonpayment of their retirement pensions. They had saved with thee Capital Express Assurance Company.
They further disclosed that after multiple media publications the company has finally made some part-payments of their retirement benefits.
Capital Express is a foreign based insurance company that has been in operation in Sierra Leone for many years. Information gathered is that teachers who enrolled and contributed their occupational pensions in this company are eligible for retirement benefits. It is against this backdrop that they are demanding their due entitlement..
Since 2010 the initial memorandum of understanding signed between the teacher and the company was not complied with
The aggrieved retired teachers had contributed a minimum of five (5) million Leones during their occupational scheme between 2010 to 20019.
Abu Boms Abdulai (beneficiary) said he was surprised to have received only three million, five hundred thousand Leones (Le 3,500,000) as a retirement pension in August this year.
‘’Its came as a surprise, I am one of those that contributed to the company’s highest quantified amount every month throughout those years. I feel cheated because the initial arrangement was to take home five million Leones at my retirement. Had it not being the intervention of the press I don’t think capital express could have considered us again because I retired in 2018 and since then I’ve knocked on many doors but the company never thought of doing the needful’’, Abdulai lamented.
On the other, the company said that the five million Leones agreement was met only for clients who died in service. Daniel Sesay representing the company even stated that paid the clients in excess.
The Sierra Leone Insurance Commission superintends and checkmates all registered insurance companies. Its eastern region coordinator said in a telephone conversation that her commission believes that those clients have got all their due.
Also speaking on behalf of the Insurance Company Madam Sudie Lahai emphatically stated that she expects the aggrieved clients to have been very grateful for their magnanimity. She denied having money for the complaining teachers.