The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund

  • When NSITF took intervention project to Enugu

    When NSITF took intervention project to Enugu

    By Nwachukwu Godson

    The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) is delivering visible and distinct progress across the nation’s world of work. This transformation is not episodic but linear, marked by measurable and sustained improvement. An era of institutional awakening aptly describes current developments within the nation’s apex social security agency.

    A clear example is the revival of the Safe Workplace Intervention Project (SWIP)-a flagship social intervention initiative that had been abandoned for nearly a decade. SWIP is a programme designed to promote and reward excellence in occupational safety culture across workplaces. It is jointly run by the NSITF and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), with the Occupational Safety and Health Department of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment as the technical audit partner.

    Last held in 2018, the programme had largely faded from public consciousness. But the tide has turned. SWIP has returned with the kick-off of the delayed 2025 edition,  in Lagos on January 20, 2026 for the South West zone; continuing in Enugu on January 22 for the South East/South South zone; and concluding in Abuja on January 27, 2026 for the Northern zone. This essay focuses on the Enugu edition for specific and compelling reasons.

    SWIP is conceived as a fulcrum for the continuous growth of occupational safety and health (OSH), with expanded social protection driving increased participation in the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS). It serves as a lever that pivots the ECS from a reactive compensation framework to a proactive prevention model, recognising that accident prevention is the first and most critical step in employee compensation. In essence, the scheme prioritises safety first, and compensation only when the inevitable occurs.

    The programme provides a structured interface between employers, employees, and regulators, rewarding outstanding safety consciousness through rigorous workplace audits. It measures occupational safety performance, identifies infrastructural gaps, and advocates upgrades in safety infrastructure. In doing so, SWIP foregrounds OSH standards and ECS compliance within the broader social security ecosystem, while instilling a strong culture of accident prevention in workplaces.

    In Enugu, the event held at the Amadeo Event Centre in the heart of the Coal City. The gathering evoked palpable nostalgia, as employers and employees converged from across the old Eastern Region on their former regional capital. Attendance included the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, represented by the Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Samuel Ogbu-Nwobodo; the Honourable Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejiocha; the Managing Director of NSITF, Oluwaseun Faleye; the Chairman of NECA, Ifeanyi Okoye; NECA Director-General, Adewale Smart-Oyerinde; NSITF Executive Directors Mojisola Alli-Maculay (Operations) and Sama’ila Abdu (Administration); the representative of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC); captains of industry; and workers.

    In his address, the Governor reaffirmed Enugu State’s commitment to creating a safe and investor-friendly environment, noting significant improvements in the ease of doing business. The Minister of State for Labour and Employment emphasised the Ministry would continue to enforce occupational safety standards to protect workers and enhance national productivity.

    The Managing Director of NSITF, Oluwaseun Faleye, stated that the future of work would be defined by how well the nation protects its workforce. He stressed that every worker matters and that no job is worth a life, describing these principles as central to the Employees Compensation Scheme. He further described SWIP as a strategic platform for raising awareness on ECS compliance while placing occupational safety and health at the forefront of national discourse.

    NECA Chairman, Ifeanyi Okoye, who noted that he is the first South-Easterner to lead the association and the first NECA chairman outside Lagos, described the occasion as historic. He said the programme enhances employers’ understanding of their legal obligations regarding occupational safety and health. Echoing this view, NECA Director-General, Adewale Smart-Oyerinde, described workers’ safety and welfare as the most profitable investment any employer can make.

    Read Also: Nigeria’s real problem is indiscipline not corruption- NBA chairman

    The session drew significant applause when the representative of the Nigeria Labour Congress, an associate professor, called for wages and incomes to rise proportionately with inflation. “As the prices of goods and services surge, we want the same inflation on our income and wages,” she declared, to loud approval from workers in attendance.

    In her presentation, the Executive Director, Operations, Mojisolaoluwa Macaulay, revealed that the Fund has registered over 197,938 companies, covering more than seven million employees. She noted that in 2025 alone, occupational safety awareness programmes were conducted in 2,763 companies, while 814 workplace accidents, including 23 fatalities, were investigated. She added that over N1 billion was paid in compensatory benefits during the year, including more than N400 million paid to 39 Nigeria Customs Service personnel. She concluded that when prevention is prioritised, compensation becomes a safety net rather than a system under strain.

    The 2025 SWIP exercise involved audits of 250 selected workplaces nationwide, conducted by trained teams from the Ministry of Labour to ensure integrity and transparency. Continuous feedback was provided to the Project Planning and Coordination Committee throughout the process. Winners emerged based on seven thematic audit areas, including outstanding workplace safety, safety innovation, leadership excellence in OSH, emergency preparedness, sustainability and emergency management, zero-accident achievement, community impact and corporate social responsibility, as well as overall zonal performance. All audited workplaces received certificates, while winners were rewarded with items such as ambulances, wearable digital exposure monitoring devices, fire extinguishers, safety signages and posters, reflective jackets, and industrial safety helmets.

    While the exercise was widely applauded, it also raised important questions about occupational safety culture in the South East. All 24 prizes, from first to third positions, were won by companies in Enugu and Abia States, leaving workplaces in Anambra, Imo, and Ebonyi States without any awards. Notably, no company from the industrial clusters of Onitsha and Nnewi featured among the winners-raising a timely alarm on the need to strengthen workplace safety consciousness across the zone.

    •Godson is the General Manager, Estate and Maintenance, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).

  • NSITF reaffirms commitment to service delivery

    NSITF reaffirms commitment to service delivery

    Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has reassured of its mandate of processing claims and building confidence in the workforce, enabling business continuity, and its readiness to shoulder the burdens of employers when injuries, disabilities or workplace incidents occur.

    Managing Director, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Oluwaseun Faleye gave the assurance  at the NSITF Special Day at the 2025 Nigeria International Trade Fair, where he emphasised that no economy grows sustainably without a protected workforce.

    Faleye, who was represented by the Regional Manager, Mainland, Lagos Region of NSITF, Agboma Okoroafor, said over the past year, the Fund has undergone significant transformation.

    He said: “We have improved transparency in claims processing, strengthened compliance nationwide, expanded digital reporting channels, and deepened engagement with MSMEs, the backbone of Nigeria’s trade and industrial ecosystem.”

    On the theme of the fair, “Trade, Technology and Transformation: Leveraging Digital Trade for Economic and Industrial Growth,” Faleye said as global commerce evolves, nations that successfully integrate technology into productive sectors will lead the next wave of economic expansion.

     “Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria is already making deliberate strides in that direction, modernising institutions, digitising government services, and strengthening the business environment.”

    She noted that the Fund’s mandate is clear; to secure the Nigerian worker, safeguard employers, and underpin productivity through a robust Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS).

     “Our Lagos region remains one of the strongest pillars of this progress, with thousands of employers now fully onboarded and benefiting from simplified, technology-driven processes.”

    Read Also: Tinubu, First Lady, Shetimma, hail PFN at 40

    The NSITF boss assured manufacturers, traders, innovators, and investors of the Fund’s partnership for business resilience, stressing that when workers are safe, businesses thrive. When businesses thrive, the economy grows. And when the economy grows, Nigeria wins.”

    She added that the fair provides an invaluable opportunity to listen, educate and to deepen partnerships, because the future of trade in Nigeria rests on a workforce that is protected, productive, and prepared for the demands of a rapidly changing global landscape.

    On her part, Vera Safiya Ndanusa, the ED/CEO, Lagos International Trade fair Complex Management Board, noted that the fair is not just for innovators, exhibitors or entrepreneurs, but also for the Nigerian workers.

    Ndanusa said most employers from the private and public sectors are not usually guided by the rules and regulations despite having been trained by the ILO on the necessity to have some measures in place for safer workplaces.

    She stressed the important role the ECS plays in protecting Nigerian workers and supporting a safer and more productive business, urging employers to key into the scheme.

     “We value NSITF’s unwavering commitment to social security, workplace safety, and the strengthening of our national workforce.

    “And this special day is an opportunity for stakeholders to better understand the services NSITF provides and how these services contribute to enterprise stability and economic growth. As we begin today’s activities, I encourage everyone to engage, learn, and explore new avenues of collaboration.” 

  • Fed Govt begins compulsory compensation scheme for all public workers

    Fed Govt begins compulsory compensation scheme for all public workers

    The federal government has commenced the process for a nationwide implementation of Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS) for all its workers.

    The ECS mandates the relevant government insurer, the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), to pay claims and compensation to all Nigerian workers for injuries, disabilities, death or diseases that arises in the course of work.

    Managing Director, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Mr Oluwaseun Faleye, said the insurer has started a service-wide sensitisation of civil servants in furtherance of the implementation of the ECS.

    He spoke during a working visit to Office of the Federal Head of Service.

    Kickstarting the sensitization campaign, Head of the Federal Civil Service, Mrs. Esther Walson-Jack, pledged her unflinching support to the NSITF to ensure that all workers in the public sector benefit from the scheme.

    She committed to working with the NSITF as it embarks on the sensitization campaign across the service.

    Faleye explained that the ECS is a work-related social insurance, with the NSITF at the forefront of implementing it.

    He said: “When we look at the size of the federal civil service, there’s no better place to impact the welfare of workers than within the core ecosystem of the federal civil service. That is why it was important that we ensure that the scheme is operational at the Federal level and all the associated MDAs related to it.

     “We have made some progress, basically in terms of the payment of the obligations related to the financial aspect of it. We continue to engage with the Ministries of Budget and Finance to ensure that there are prompt payments of Federal Government liabilities so that we can then provide these very vital services to civil servants in fulfilment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s promise to always be there for the civil servants that are serving Nigerians.

    Read Also: Poor attitude of some public workers

     “Some of the payments have been made, some are still in due, and we will continue to focus on that. But we feel that we now need to undertake a comprehensive stakeholders’ engagement, particularly with the members of staff that will be beneficiaries of this very important welfare Scheme. We understand that given the uniqueness of what is on offer it’s now important for us to undertake a very sustained sensitization campaign to educate workers on the benefits of the Scheme and the process of making claims under the Scheme.

     “That’s really why we are here, to kick-start that process, to basically discuss with the Staff Welfare Office under the Office of the Head of Service as to the modalities for the proposed stakeholders’ engagement and we are very hopeful that we will get your guidance and support regarding this.”

    Faleye lauded the welfare-centered initiatives of the Head of Service and mentioned that the privileged opportunity to serve in the Head of Service Committee for the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2025 (FCSSIP2025), reinforced his commitment to ensure the implementation of the ECS in the Federal civil service.

    He pointed out that while other committee members were talking about housing, health and related issues, NSITF stayed on its core mandate, focusing on surmounting the barriers to the service-wide implementation of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme in the Federal civil service in particular with the desired outcome being to enhance the social protection available to Federal civil servants.

    Mr Faleye said: “We felt that what was key for us as we shared ideas and discussed initiatives during the strategy sessions we had under the auspices of the FCSSIP2025 was how to sustainably implement and deepen initiatives that were already available but not implemented and ensure that those welfare initiatives are implemented for the benefit of workers in terms of their welfare and social security. And in that regard, what was key for us was to then ensure that our core mandates are reflected and highlighted as we discussed the initiatives at the FCSSIP2025 and we made the commitment to do everything within our sphere of influence to ensure that those initiatives become a reality.”

    He said the NSITF will continue to do all it can to ensure that the barriers that were identified militating against the implementation and operationality of the Employees Compensation Scheme in the Federal civil service are surmounted and dealt with and particularly appreciate President Bola Ahmed for directing the payment of all Federal Government obligations due under the Employees’ Compensation Scheme.

    In her response, the Head of the Federal Civil Service, Mrs. Walson-Jack said: “The MD has outlined a very robust vision, which as he did say, I bought into the very first time we met. The Employees’ Compensation Scheme as captured in the Employees’ Compensation Act is one Scheme that has been waiting for a robust push to ensure that it is mainstreamed into our welfare package service-wide”.

     “I recollect that as a Permanent Secretary in the Staff Welfare Office in 2017, we began to talk about the Scheme, which had not yet come on board and I want to say that I am delighted today that we have gotten to this milestone, wherein we are now ready to sensitize civil servants on this very important welfare Scheme as we begin its implementation and I want to thank especially the Managing Director of the NSITF and his team for all the efforts you have put into getting us here”. 

     “I want to assure you that this office through the Service Welfare Office will give you all the support, all the encouragement, and will work with you to ensure that this Scheme comes on board this year 2025, and that it comes to stay”

     “I want to use the opportunity to thank our very worker-friendly President, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR for bringing us this far. This is another feather in the bag of welfare initiatives that this administration has come to be known for. It was only a couple of weeks ago that the Federal Executive Council approved the Group Life Assurance Scheme, and today we are here to discuss the implementation of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme.

     “We want to say that this office also takes the welfare of civil servants very, very seriously, and that is why we have also come up with several initiatives for the welfare of civil servants. The administration started with the new minimum wage and the consequential adjustments to salaries arising from the new minimum wage. And then it added the wage award, which unfortunately ran into arrears, but I’m happy to say that as of yesterday, the arrears have begun to be paid.”

  • NSITF MD: we’ll carry out comprehensive reforms

    NSITF MD: we’ll carry out comprehensive reforms

    The new Managing Director/Chief Executive, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Oluwaseun Faleye, has pledged to institute comprehensive reforms to enhance the agency’s performance.

    Speaking on his first day in office, Faleye, who was accompanied by the Executive Director of Operations, Mojisolaoluwa Alli-Macaulay, emphasised that collaborative efforts would achieve sustainable organisational growth, promising thorough departmental assessments and improved welfare measures.

    He commended the staff members for their dedication in delivering ECS benefits across Nigeria. With optimism and determination, Faleye acknowledged the challenges ahead but affirmed his readiness to navigate them effectively, drawing on his experience and commitment to advancing NSITF’s mandate as the nation’s premier social security agency.

    “My mission is to join hands with the  stakeholders to build a much more sustainable organisation. I am new and yet to know the issues. However, we will put our heads together to find solutions. We shall build a much more vibrant NSITF that can deliver its mandate to its key stakeholders, especially the workers and employers as well as the staff of the fund.

    “Please, bear in mind that my intention is to leave this organisation much better than I met it. It is a worthwhile dream, given the impact we have in the generality of the world of work.

    “At the core of this is some level of organisational restructuring and I have no doubt about that. What that organisational restructuring will be, the days ahead will determine. But, most importantly to note, is that the essence of that restructuring is to create some level of efficiency in our service delivery,” Faleye said.

    They were received by Executive Director of Administration,  Prof. Gabriel Okenwa, and Director of Finance and Investment, Babatunde Adedeji Adegoke.

    Read Also: Faleye: The new broom at NSITF

    Faleye underscored the necessity of organisational restructuring aimed at enhancing operational efficiency within NSITF. He expressed intent to conduct a needs assessment across departments to chart a path forward.

    Faleye also extended gratitude to his predecessor, Maureen Allagoa, for her service and cooperation during the transition.

    Alli-Macaulay invoked a legal maxim to stress the importance of unity among stakeholders. She assured of collaboration under the new leadership.

    Also, Adediji praised the appointment of Faleye, urging him to leverage his political acumen to expedite reforms within NSITF.

    The ceremony was attended by departmental heads, with regional heads joining remotely, signalling a unified commitment to NSITF’s renewed direction under its new leadership.

  • Ngige inaugurates NSITF board, cautions against award of contracts

    Dr Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, has cautioned the board and management of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) against award of contracts.

    Ngige, who handed down the warning while inaugurating the new board of NSITF at the Presidential Villa Banquet Hall on Monday in Abuja, said that award of contracts was not within the obligations of the board.

    Prince Austin Enajemo-Isire was named the chairman of the 12-member board, while Mrs Ijeoma Okoronkwo, Deputy General Manager, NSITF, was named Board Secretary.

    Other members are: Olawale Timothy representing Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Dr Mohammed Yinusa, NECA President, Comrade Waheed Adeyanju, representing NLC, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel, NLC.

    Also in the board are Ifeoma Anyawutaku, representing Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mrs Dutse Aminu, representing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Jasper Azutalam, NSITF, Tijani Darazo, NSITF, Titola Nelson, NSITF and Adebayo Somefun, NSITF.

    Ngige has been at loggerheads with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) over his failure to inaugurate NSITF board with Frank Kokori as the chairman.

    NLC members on May 8 picketed Ngige’s Abuja residence with allegations that labour protesters were manhandled by the minister’s loyalists, allegation Ngige denied.

    Ngige had argued that, as the minister permitted by law to make a recommendation, he did not recommend Kokori.

    The minister told the new members of the board that they were men and women of esteemed integrity, who by their antecedents had proven themselves worthy of the appointment.

    “You should particularly note that boards are not to award contracts as there are Parastatals Tenders Board put in place for such purposes, guided by the Public Procurement ACT (PPA), 2007.

    “In this wise, the Parastatals Tenders Board should strictly adhere to the prevailing thresholds for contract for Consultancy/Supplies of Goods and for Construction.

    “Expenditure thresholds that are above the Parastatals Tenders Board should be forwarded to the Ministerial Tenders Board(MTB) for approval and from there to the Federal Executive Council(FEC), if the threshold is above the MTB’s approval limit,’’ he said.

    Ngige said that the function and operations of the board were regulated by various Federal Government circulars which were being made available to the board members.

    Ngige urged the board to take issues of staff welfare, proper placement among others seriously.

    “Be mindful of the general principle which states that nominal board members are not to be involved in the day to  day running of the Fund.

    “In this regard, you are particularly to be guided by Circular No. SGF.OP/1/S.3/T.1/142 dated Aug. 2, 1999 and Guidelines to Administrative Procedure in the Federal Public Service.

    “In terms of remuneration for the board chairman and members, please be guided by circulars Ref. Nos. SWC/S/04/S.310/105 dated June 10, 2010, and SGF.OP/1/S.3/X/804 dated Oct. 23, 2015 respectively.

    “The Managing Director and Executive Directors are to be guided by their letters of appointment issued to them by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

    “For others, the NSITF Act, on powers of the minister to provide from time to time the remuneration and allowances of members of the board applies. Fortunately this is also in alignment with the circulars above.’’

    He said that the board members’ remuneration had been clearly spelt out as to what to be paid for board meetings and for travels both within and outside the country.

    The minister said that salaries and emoluments of staff members were fixed by the board, but subject to the ratification by the supervising ministry and subsequent confirmation by the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission.

    Ngige regretted that the last board and management of the NSITF left negative trails inimical to development and progress for both the human and infrastructural components of the agency.

    Responding on behalf of other board members, Enejemo-Isire, thanked God, President Buhari and Ngige for the opportunity given to them to serve.

    He pledged that the board would not betray the confidence reposed in it.

  • ECS: NSITF defers employers’ sanction for non-compliance

    The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) did not sanction employers for non-compliance with the Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS) to allow them more time to understand its implementation processes,  its Managing Director, Mr. Adebayo Somefun has said.

    He said in Abuja that the Fund was more interested in the growth of the scheme and not prioritising punishment of defaulters.

    Somefun insisted that sanction would eventually be meted to defaulters, adding that the Fund is  adopting the carrot and stick approach.

    He said: “We are not relying on the legal aspect to get employers to comply with the ECS yet. We are at this moment concentrating on selling the inherent benefits of the scheme. Eventually, there will be sanction for defaulting. But we are not going into that right now because the scheme is still young. We need to keep talking, persuading and enlightening all our critical stakeholders.”

    He said employers not participating in the scheme were not only depriving their employees the benefits of compensation when injured, but are denying themselves the opportunity of getting paid for loss of productivity when their workers are injured, and in no position to execute their tasks optimally.

    His said: “All employers of labour in Nigeria who are not participating in the scheme are denying their employees as well as Nigerians of the benefits of the compensation that this scheme offers. There is no need to worry about occupational hazard because we know that accidents are not planned occurrences and can happen any time.

    “In such times, the employer is insulated from settling medical expenses. In fact, the NSITF pays employers whose staffers are involved in accidents and loss of productivity due to the inability of such workers to perform their duties.

    “Again, if an employee dies in the course of duty, 90 per cent of his total remuneration is paid to the spouse until the last child is 21 years old or graduates from the university.

    “For example, if a worker dies while his last child is six months old, for the next 21 years, that family will receive 90 per cent of the terminal income of the deceased. So, there is no need to run to any uncle or family members when a worker dies in the course of work.”

    Somefun said the scheme seeks to protect family integrity, boost education and insulate families against becoming destitute after the demise of their bread winner.

    He said: “With 90 per cent of remuneration of the deceased paid directly to his wife, the standard of the family will not drop drastically. The beauty of this scheme is that the money is paid directly to the spouse and not to any extended family. So, families cannot get their hands on it. It is not a next-of-kin matter at all. Other benefits like gratuities and group life assurance are paid to whoever is the next-of-kin.”

    He also hinted that the Fund would reinforce its safety activities in 2019. “We have placed about 1,000 of our staffers on safety management. This will empower us to descend into the work arena to exercise one of our major mandates, which is to enforce health and safety in the work environment,” he said, adding that the Fund pays death benefits to 332 families monthly.

  • Alleged $48.4m fraud: Court seizes 38 houses from ex-NSITF boss

    A Federal High Court has ordered the interim forfeiture of more than 38 assets and properties traced to a former Chairman of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Dr. Ngozi Olojeme.

    Olojeme  is said to have travelled oversees to avoid prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The suspect has two outstanding cases with EFCC, including alleged diversion of $48,485,127 from the N62.3billion in NSITF accounts between 2009 and 2015.

    She is also being investigated for allegedly defrauding a businessman, Prince Arthur Eze, of $2.8million and N240million.

    She had borrowed the $2.8million and N240million to contest for the Peoples Democratic Party’s gubernatorial ticket as an aspirant in Delta State in 2014.

    The account from which she collected the N240million had no Bank Verification Number (BVN).

    She was operating 50 accounts with different names in various banks and links with five companies.

    The companies are Able -Jes Nigeria Ltd; Juliand Nig. Ltd; Majesty Mining and Construction Company Ltd; and Fresh Energy Limited.

    A statement by the Acting Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Tony Orilade, said the agency approached the Federal High Court, Abuja for interim forfeiture of Olojeme’s assets.

    The statement said the court presided over by Justice Ijeoma L. Ojukwu granted the interim order on Friday.

    The statement said: “A Federal High Court has ordered the interim forfeiture of more than 38 assets and properties traced to a former chairman of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF.

    “Justice Ojukwu granted the application and ruled that ‘an order is hereby made attaching/forfeiting in the interim, all assets and properties set out in the schedule attached to this application, to the Federal Government of Nigeria, pending the hearing and determination of the trial in Charge No. CR/365/17’.

    “The order was made sequel to an ex-parte Originating Summons filed by the EFCC through its counsel, Elizabeth Alabi, on December 12, 2018, praying the court for the following orders:

    “An order of interim attachment/forfeiture of the asset attachment of the properties set out in the schedule attached herein”.

    “An order stopping any disposal, conveyance, mortgage, lease, sale or alienation or otherwise of the properties/assets described in the schedule attached herein.”

    “The schedule of properties referred to in the Summons include: parcels of land, duplexes, a bank building, and hotel buildings, amongst others.

    Some of them are: one storey semi-detached residential building located at house/flat 86, 11 Crescent, Kado Estate, Abuja; a fenced plot of land with C of O No. DTSR16326 located at plots 104 and 105, Block IV, Phase V, Core Area, Asaba, Delta State; six units of one-bedroom apartment; one unit of five-bedroom bungalow; a block of six units of office space, all located at 196, Melford Okilo Road, Amarata-Epie, Yenegoa, Bayelsa State.

    “Others include: one duplex and four house residential building with swimming pool, gate house, fully furnished with state of the art facilities, located at No. 25 Kainji Crescent, off Maitama, Abuja. This same property is also known as plot No. 738 Cadastral Zone AO5, Maitama, Abuja; A storey building; two bungalows; printing press with printing equipment; a fenced empty land measuring 1422.765 square meters, located at km.9 Asaba-Benin Express road, Asaba, Delta State.

    “Another property is a twin duplex office building, located at Plot R/151 (No. 30A) Kingsway Road, Old GRA, Enugu State, registered at Enugu Land Registry.

    “The Commission, through the application, also sought for the interim forfeiture of two duplexes with boys quarters, generator house, gym and car park, located at No. 3D Opolo, Old Commissioner’s Quarters, Yenegoa, Bayelsa State; Ten plots of land, located at plot 7, 8, 11, 12, 16, 20, 23, and 24 Phase IV, Block 111, Core Area, Asaba, Delta State, with C of O No. DSTR1194; A two-bedroom bungalow, located at No. 3 Ogwa Godspower Avenue, Oshimili South LGA, Asaba, Delta State; A two-bedroom bungalow located at No. 11, Chiweta Street, off Ezenie Avenue, Asaba, Delta State, measuring 527.141 square meters; a two-bedroom bungalow, located at James Odittah Street, Oshimili LGA, Asaba, Delta State, amongst many others.”

  • NSITF will no longer be a cash cow – Ngige

    Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has said that despite the huge financial scandal uncovered at the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), the agency will no longer be used as a cash cow for any individual or group.

    The Minister who spoke when he inaugurated a Seven-Man Implementation Committee on the Report of the Administrative Panel of Inquiry into the financial affairs of the fund, said the government will do everything possible to re-position the fund to save it from going the way of other agencies like it that have gone under as a result of mismanagement.

    Addressing the members of the committee drawn from the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Office of the Auditor General of the Federation, the Private Sector and the Ministry of Labour and Employment with Permanent Secretary, Mrs Ibukun Odusote as Chairman, Sen. Ngige recalled said the government places high premium placed on the religious implementation of the report by the Federal government.

    He described the implementation committee as key to charting a new course for the agency, adding that its constitution is a presidential directive.

    “The Federal Government finds it desirable that that report of the Administrative Panel of Inquiry into the financial affairs of the NSITF be religiously implemented in order to give the agency a new lease of life.

    “The President gave approval for this Inter-Ministerial Committee because of the humongous nature of the problem so as to ensure broad participation of experts from other ministries and preclude any accusation of narrow interest.

    “You are aware that in the last seven months or so we have directly tried to salvage that agency from going the way of similar Federal agencies like National Economic Reconstruction FUND (NERFUND) where massive looting became an albatross, sinking the organization.

    Read Also: Be guided in your utterances, Ngige tells Oshiomhole

    “In case of the NSITF, there is no law and order as per financial spending, no vote book, no internal audit mechanism, no transparent procurement plan that gives government value for money , no audited account for the last six years, occasioning massive loss of funds, inability to pay compensation, death benefits , and even investment on behalf of the organization.”

    The Minister charged the committee to strictly abide by the directive of the President to work expeditiously and round off assignment within two weeks from the date of inauguration so as to pave way for the inauguration of the board.

    “We want to create a new NSITF that will be financially stable to fulfil its objectives,” he said, warning members to be steadfast and shun distractions and overtures from interested parties.

    He further charged them, “You will look into the Auditor General’s Check Report which we engaged the relevant section of the constitution to obtain because there has been no audited account in the agency for six years.

    “You will also consider the fate of some of the staff members sent on compulsory leave to allow for an unfettered access to the books of their departments.

    “The innocent will be re-instated while those who corruptly enriched themselves or neglected their responsibilities won’t come back. We shall engage the necessary government mechanism in disengaging such staff in such a way that we don’t breach the public service rule.”

    He also urged the committee to work out concrete plans for the creation of tax desk in the agency, the lack of which he said, resulted in the billions of Naira in tax deductions not remitted to relevant government agencies, in turn, leading to the closure of the agency’s branches in Port Harcourt and Onne in Rivers State as well as in Owerri, Imo State. “The problems dogging the agency are gargantuan and unknown to many armchair critics,” he added.

    Speaking on the ownership of the NSITF, Senator Ngige said the fund was “one hundred percent Federal Government organization”, explaining however that its tripartite nature is a result of workers and employers involvement.

    He said “I am explaining this because there is an insinuation in some quarters that NSITF contains workers’ money. The contributions therein are premium paid on behalf of workers by employers and nothing more. The workers benefit from the fund just as their employers. Ignorance of this fact has made some people assert unnecessary rights over its management.”

  • Be guided in your utterances, Ngige tells Oshiomhole

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has asked the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to be “verse in little basic issues” that guide public governance  so as to be properly guided in his utterances to avoid unnecessary character assassination and unfortunate misinformation of  the Nigerian public.

    The Minister said in a statement made available to The Nation that reports that he appropriated the powers of the Board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) in the award of contracts leading to the delay in inaugurating the board of the agency was false and misleading.

    Ngige who was reacting to a widely publicized statement by the APC chairman said the neither the Minister nor the board of the agency has the power to award contracts since they were not part of the Tenders Board.

    He insisted that the monumental fraud in the agency accounts for why the board of the agency has not been inaugurated.

    Read Also: Ngige threatens to revoke oil firms’ licences

    The statement reads: “The attention of the Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige has been drawn to media reports that his office appropriated the powers of the Board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) in the award of contracts, hence the delay in inaugurating the board of the agency.

    “Such a blatant falsehood is either on account of fertile ignorance or outright mischief or both by the originator as well as the peddlers.  It is therefore imperative that the provisions of the Procurement Act 2010 which is clear and unambiguous on the process for the award of contracts be re-emphasized.

    “For clarity purpose, the Ministerial Tenders Board (MTB) for the award of contracts in any Ministry is made up of the Permanent Secretary as chairman and his Directors, while in the parastatals, the Parastatals Tenders Board consists of the Chief Executive Officer (Director General or Managing Director) and his Directors.

    “The Minister is not a member and therefore does not award contracts. Similarly, members of Board of Directors being not members of the Tenders Board of the parastatals do not also award contracts.

    “It is therefore a stunningly crass ignorance for anyone to claim that part of the reasons for the delay in the inauguration of the board of the NSITF  or any parastatal was to enable the  Minister usurp the role of the board as regards the award of contracts.

    “When the threshold of the award is above a parastatal, such contracts are referred to the MTB for final approval. Such also is the case with the Ministerial Tenders Board threshold which is referred to the Bureau for Public Procurement and from there, to the Council of Ministers called the Federal Executive Council for treatment and ratification.

    “So in effect, the Federal Executive Council is not a contract awarding body and hence Ministers do not award contracts stricto senso.

    “It is our humble view therefore that those in authority should be versed in little basic issues that guide public governance  so as to be properly guided in their utterances to avoid unnecessary character assassination and unfortunate misinformation of  the general public.

    “Once more, the Honourable  wishes to state that the reason for the delayed inauguration of the Board of the NSITF was to enable the Administrative Panel of Inquiry set up to probe a frightening degree of corruption amounting to over 48 billion Naira out of which N5billion disappeared in a day without vouchers, complete its assignment.

    “The panel has submitted its report while the committee implementing same report is already empaneled. It will finish its work very soon to pave the way for the inauguration of the Board of Directors.”

  • Labour leaders not involved in N62bn NSITF fraud, says Official

    The United Labour Congress ( ULC) said on Friday that no labour leader has been found culpable in the alleged misappropriation of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund ( NSITF) money.

    The ULC said this in reaction to a statement credited to the Ministry of Labour and Employment that those indicted in the NSITF fraud included leaders nominated by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA).

    Read Also: Labour pickets MTN over anti-workers policies

    The Minister, Sen. Chris Ngige, had on Feb. 15, 2017, set up an Administrative Panel of Inquiry to investigate an alleged misappropriation of N62.56billion spent in the NSITF between 2011 and 2015.

    However, six former directors of the NSITF were indicted and charged to Court by the EFCC, including the NECA representative.

    Mr Didi Adodo, ULC’s General Secretary in a statement in Lagos said that it was wrong to mention labour representatives when the EFCC had not indicted them.

    ”We disagree with the Minister. We want to state that no labour representative was found culpable,” Adodo said.

    He said that representatives of labour were neither indicted by the EFCC investigations of the Board nor by the subsequent Administrative Panel.

    ”There is no labour man involved in the alleged fraud. It is a gross misrepresentation of the facts or an outright mischief to have made such generalised statement.

    ”ULC hopes that the Minister was misquoted in that blanket statement or that he was unmindful of its overall implications before going to the press,” he said.

    The congress scribe advised the Minister to equally publish the names of the individuals indicted in the report to avoid raising unnecessary insinuations.

    He said that the Court records were there for any member of the public that would be interested in the matter to find out those indicted.

    He however commended efforts made to arrest those involved in the fraud, saying, “workers’ contributions cannot be mismanaged and we keep quiet as a responsible labour centre.’’

    Adodo pledged the support of the ULC any effort towards the recovery of the monies as workers constituted the major contributors to the fund.

    NAN