NSITF Chairmanship Tussle: Presidency Backs Ngige

The Presidency has thrown its weight behind the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, over the chairmanship of the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).

The Presidency made the clarification on Sunday in a press statement by Mr. Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity.

Adesina said there was no controversy over the nomination by the minister and added that President Muhammadu Bauhari has approved the appointment of Comrade Frank Kokori as the chair of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS).

“Comrade Frank Kokori our respected veteran labour leader has Mr. President’s immense respect and has also been appointed on the recommendation of the Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment to chair the board of Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), a diploma awarding labour institution,” Adesina said in the statement.

He also expressed the disapproval of the Presidency on the siege to the private residence of the minister by officials of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).

“Finally, the Presidency has noted with deep concern and regrets, the events that culminated in a skirmish at the private residence of the Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment, and condemns it, in its entirety. However, in the spirit of reconciliation, the Presidency appeals for calm from the NLC and the Ministry of Labour and Employment officials, as there are ongoing efforts to reconcile the NLC leadership with the Ministry of Labour and Employment, led by their Minister who has doggedly been fighting the cause of Nigerian workers whenever their issue is discussed by government, the latest being the enactment of the new National Minimum Wage Act 2019.”

Part of the statement further reads:

“That the NSITF is a hundred percent, Federal Government of Nigeria owned insurance parastatal, under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, designed for the role of insuring workers (employees) in the public and private sectors. The organization is empowered by law to implement the Employee Compensation Act (ECA) 2010 with mandate to insure workers and pay them compensation for accidents, deaths and injuries in the course of work.

“The NSITF was bedevilled and riddled with corruption between 2012 – 2015, which resulted in a colossal loss and mismanagement of about N48 billion out of the total N62 billion contributions during the said period. These were contributions by the Employers – viz government and the private sector for payment of compensation to workers and even to Employers for loss of man-hours by their workers. This fraud has been investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the last Chairman and some members of the former board and some officials of the NSITF are presently being prosecuted by the EFCC.

“All actions taken by the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment towards the resuscitation and repositioning of this ailing agency, including the Administrative Panel of Inquiry into the affairs of NSITF and the suspension of the inauguration of the board in 2018 were part of the special work plan approved for the Honourable Minister by Mr. President.”