Minister probes NSITF management
Mr Simon Lalong, Minister of Labour and Employment, says he has set up a committee to probe alleged complaints by staff against the management of Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
Lalong, accompanied by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha and directors of the ministry, made this known during a familiarisation visit to the fund on Tuesday in Abuja.
Lalong said the visit was to look at some of the complaints filed by staff against the management and address them holistically.
According to him, there are a lot of internal and external petitions against the NSITF management.
“We saw complaints of refunds of money paid and refunded; we had complaints of unfair administrative practices and also irregular promotions.
“We had complaints of lack of vacancies and stagnation of staff; court cases regrading the disengagement of certain staff and disharmony between in-house union and the fund.
“Staff grievances of irregularities of grade levels, mass employment of persons to fill up vacancies in the fund and staff condition of service.’’
He added that the ministry had also received complaints of disharmony among management staff and insubordination of staff of the fund, among others.
Lalong said he had set up a committee to investigate all the issues as soon as possible.
“This is meant to improve your services and not to witch hunt anybody, but to add value to the ministry as a lot is expected from us and our agencies,” he said.
Earlier, Mrs Maureen Allagoa, the Managing Director of NSITF, highlighted the challenges facing the fund to include “the implementation of the deduction of 40 per cent of the employers’ contribution to the Fund by the Ministry of Finance.
“N1.4 billion was deducted and paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) in line with the Finance Act 2020.
“There is also the challenge of the limitations of the Employees Compensation Act (EAC) 2010, in that it does not cover some situations, especially in the areas of claims and compensation, and the informal sector.
“These existing gaps in the law have variously been exploited by dubious employers to the detriment of employees.”
Allagoa therefore called for the amendment of the Act to close up the gaps.
She informed the minister that the NSITF has developed a strategic plan with 50 strategic objectives that drives the organisation.
