NSITF Vows to Uphold Transparency in Its Operations

•Disburses N172.5 million to beneficiaries

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), has assured Nigerians it will continue to operate in a transparent manner and ensure the scheme is efficient and effective to meet their yearnings and expectations.

The support provided by NSITF in the form of financial compensation helps employees who sustain injuries and their families to cope with the financial and emotional strain of the unforeseen and unfortunate incident, thus enabling them to recover and return to work or maintain a reasonable standard of living.

The Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS) supports the rehabilitation of employees who suffer work-related injuries or illnesses, helping them regain their ability to work and reintegrate into the workforce

The Fund said it has recently disbursed over N172 million compensation to seven employees of different organisations who are beneficiaries of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme.

A statement signed by the Deputy General Manager Corporate Affairs Alex Mede quoted the Managing Director, NSITF, Oluwaseun Faleye, as having given the assurance on Wednesday, at the maiden edition of the International Civil Service Conference in Abuja.

He said the financial support of the fund is robust enough “to provide the kind of support that will help cushion the effect of unfortunate incidents when they do occur.”

“On our part as the operators of this Scheme, we promise to rededicate ourselves to service, to advocating tirelessly the benefits of the Scheme, to ensuring that the Fund and the Scheme is efficient and effective to meet your aspirations whenever circumstances require it and above all.

“We promise to be transparent and accountable with the Fund that has been entrusted in our care for your compensation and rehabilitation,” he said.

While providing further details on compensation payment, Faleye said the NSITF recently paid a total of N43.7million to one employee of the National Assembly, and a staff of Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria.

He said: “To mention a few, early this year, we paid the sum of N25,000,000.00 (N25 million) to an employee of the National Assembly who suffered a work-related injury and just last week, the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund presented a cheque of N18,652,908.20 (Eighteen Million, Six Hundred and Fifty-Two Thousand, Nine Hundred and Eight Naira, two Kobo) as death benefit to the family of a deceased employee of the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria.

“Next week, I shall, on behalf of the Fund, and in fulfillment of our commitments under the Scheme, be presenting cheques of N31.1 m to an employee of Nestle Nigeria Plc, N4.9m to an employee of Polaris Bank Limited, and N15.4m to a Medplus employee.”

Others, according to the MD, include “N86m to an employee of Mobil Producing Nigeria, N15.6m to an employee of Zenith Bank Plc, N7.8m to an employee of Alexander Marius Investment Limited, and N11.7m to an employee of Unity Bank Plc.”

Falaye however lamented the poor implementation of the scheme at the state and local government levels, as well as the public sector.

He said: “Can you imagine how many of our colleagues in the public sector could have benefitted from this Scheme if it has been robustly institutionalized?

“Can you imagine employees in over 774 Local Governments across the federation; 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory being assured of the safety net that the Scheme provides in the case of work-related accidents?”

NSITF boss appealed to civil servants to embrace the Fund’s social safety net to make their lives better.

“Let us activate the social safety net that is required to build a resilient civil service, so that all staff members can then give their very best for the transformation of our society,” he said.