Mrs. Yeabu Sesay, a 73-year-old widow from Port Loko, has voiced her frustration with the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) following the death of her husband, a retired primary school teacher, on January 2, 2023.

Despite numerous visits to NASSIT’s local office in Port Loko to claim her late husband’s pension benefits, Mrs. Sesay has encountered repeated obstacles and conflicting information.

Initially, NASSIT staff member Minkailu requested that Mrs. Sesay provide several documents, including proof of marriage, her husband’s death certificate, and endorsements from local authorities confirming her status as the sole wife.

After submitting these documents, Mrs. Sesay was informed that her paperwork was sent to NASSIT’s head office in Freetown for verification and processing. Minkailu assured her that, though the process would take time, her husband’s pension would eventually be paid.

However, during a follow-up visit, another NASSIT employee, Donald, told Mrs. Sesay that the processing was nearly complete. To her dismay, a subsequent visit revealed alarming news from another staff member, Joseph.

He claimed that an unknown individual had been fraudulently collecting her late husband’s pension payments, allegedly in advance up to December 2025. Joseph further indicated that Mrs. Sesay would not start receiving benefits until January 2026.

The confusion deepened when Joseph later informed Mrs. Sesay that NASSIT had overpaid her late husband and would deduct the excess funds until December 2025.

Seeking clarification, Mrs. Sesay approached Sierra Leone Commercial Bank (SLCB) for a bank statement, only to be told that she needed authorization from the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA).

At NCRA, she was redirected back to NASSIT, which instructed her to consult a lawyer to determine the next of kin of her late husband—a request NASSIT staff claimed was due to legal constraints.

With assistance from the Legal Aid Board, Mrs. Sesay pursued a Letter of Administration from the Administrator and Registrar General’s Office and was accompanied to SLCB to verify if any pension payments had been collected.

The banker confirmed that no payments had been made by anyone other than the account’s rightful owner.

Disheartened by the ongoing discrepancies and lack of transparency, Mrs. Sesay has called for intervention from government officials, including the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Social Welfare.

She urges them and other stakeholders to address the anomalies at NASSIT, which she feels have undermined the trust and purpose of the social security system meant to protect retirees and their families.

Mrs. Sesay, residing at #8 Mission Lane, Port Loko, is advocating for reforms to ensure that the pension system better serves and protects vulnerable widows like herself, and to provide more accountability and choice in managing workers’ savings