Welfare battle between management and staff of Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has escalated with the leadership of staff union on platform of Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) petitioning the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoS), According to New Telegraph reports.
In a fresh petition signed by ASSBIFI President, Bala Tijani, Chairman, Opeoluwa Ogunfowote, and Abdulkadir Isa, General Secretary respectively, and dated June 20, 2023, a copy sighted by New Telegraph, it called for fund management investigation over acts described as gross violation of the Public Service Rules, unremitted Pension and National Housing Fund (NHF) deductions.
The union said it had “exhausted all industrial relations tools to no avail” and on this basis, it is calling on the Head of Service to investigate the issues raised therein.
Part of the prayers they made was that the HoS investigate and reverse the demotion of over 5,000 staff of the Fund, ensure all deducted funds are remitted to the deserving staff and the management penalised for the violation.
It said: “NSITF, if properly managed, has the potential to connect the divide between government at the center and indigent Nigerians in ungoverned spaces, thereby driving down government impact to the nooks and crannies of the country.
“Nigeria has been a signatory to the ILO conventions particularly the Social Security component and further research showed us that out of the nine schemes, NSITF operates only one, thus, the Employee Compensation Scheme (ECS) – targeted to benefit Employees of both the public and private sector in cases of work related injuries.”
Over the years, the institution has always been in the news for negative stunts from the days of Ngozi Olejeme who had to return millions of Naira and forfeit 46 choice houses including the Mai- tama residence with a $2 million bathroom after EFCC drills.
It has also featured Micheal Akabogu, the then Managing Director, who was ousted in 2022 by the then Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, over poor performance and NYSC certificate forgery. It was under same MD that termites were alleged to have eaten N17 billion worth of vouchers.
In March 2023, staff of the NSITF protested against their management over poor remuneration by blocking roads and access to the office premises on allegation against Dr. Ngige over what they called a fictitious software contract that was to cost government N15 billion.
NSITF management repeatedly denied awarding the N15 billion software contract, describing such information as figment of union imagination.
A staff of the Fund, who pleaded anonymity, insisted on Authentify of N15 billion e-NSITF software project, saying is still on course under the watch of present Managing Director, Maureen Allagoa.
Contacted on phone, NSITF Board Secretary/General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mrs. Ijeoma Okoronkwo, said she was not privy to the petition sent to HOS. “I am not privy to the petition sent to the HOS. I’m not aware; haven’t seen the copy.
I know a committee is working on salary issue. The Union leadership is part of the committee, which also has Chairman, National Salary and Wages Commission, on it. “On allegation of deductions, the National Housing Fund and Pension, it’s not true. The Fund has about 5,000 staff.
By implication, every staff has no less than four family dependant. It’s in interest of every staff to ensure survival of this organisation. But the way union is going about it, “I can’t understand.
The same issues they articulated before and a committee was set up and they are being looked at, are the same issues they petitioned HOS. Like I said, I haven’t seen the copy. I will liase with the HR to get the copy if HR has gotten it,” Okoronkwo told New Telegraph via phone.
Source: TheNigeriaLawyer