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13052019 - NSITF: Kokori, Labour tackle Presidency

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Vanguard, MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019 —41<br />

<strong>NSITF</strong>: <strong>Kokori</strong>,<br />

<strong>Labour</strong> <strong>tackle</strong><br />

<strong>Presidency</strong><br />

Continues from Page 5<br />

appointed. If they are<br />

afraid of <strong>Kokori</strong>’s<br />

integrity, they should<br />

come out clean.<br />

‘’In fact, I am aware<br />

that Ngige met <strong>Kokori</strong><br />

over four times on the<br />

issues of inauguration.<br />

In July last year, a<br />

committee was actually<br />

set up to inaugurate the<br />

board. It was at that<br />

point that Ngige wrote<br />

a memo to the President<br />

that with <strong>Kokori</strong> as the<br />

chairman, labour would<br />

have three persons on<br />

the board, which they<br />

are not comfortable to<br />

with.<br />

‘’Ngige actually sent<br />

the name of <strong>Kokori</strong> to<br />

the DSS for screening<br />

ahead of the<br />

inauguration. But if you<br />

said because <strong>Kokori</strong> is<br />

a man of integrity, and<br />

cannot be bent, it is<br />

alright. We thought that<br />

a government that is<br />

fighting corruption<br />

should have <strong>Kokori</strong> on<br />

board.<br />

‘’It is not also correct<br />

that the fund is 100 per<br />

cent government. It is<br />

false because employers<br />

contribute to the fund<br />

for the social security of<br />

workers. That is why it<br />

is a tripartite<br />

institution.’’<br />

On why the NLC<br />

nominated Chief<br />

<strong>Kokori</strong>, Wabba said:<br />

“No, we never<br />

nominated <strong>Kokori</strong>. Let<br />

me tell you, I have<br />

repeated this severally,<br />

our two nominees were<br />

the Treasurer and the<br />

Trustee.<br />

‘’<strong>Kokori</strong> was<br />

nominated on his<br />

personal merit to the<br />

Presidential Committee<br />

headed by the Vice<br />

President, that<br />

nominated people into<br />

over 500 boards.<br />

“Through that process,<br />

Ngige was appointed<br />

as Chairman of NDE. It<br />

was the same Ngige<br />

that told us that <strong>Kokori</strong><br />

has been appointed into<br />

the board of the Nigeria<br />

Social Insurance Trust<br />

Fund.<br />

‘’He is not our<br />

nominee but we<br />

thought that having<br />

nominated him from the<br />

rank and file of labour,<br />

we should also find out<br />

why they want to delay<br />

the inauguration of the<br />

Board.<br />

“All the other 500<br />

boards have been<br />

inaugurated. All of the<br />

appointments were<br />

done the same time. In<br />

fact, the three executive<br />

directors and managing<br />

director were appointed<br />

through the same<br />

process.<br />

“We have said it<br />

several times that we<br />

were not even aware that<br />

he was appointed but<br />

having appointed him,<br />

they can’t treat him<br />

shabbily because he is<br />

from labour.”<br />

From The<br />

<strong>Presidency</strong><br />

Meanwhile, the<br />

<strong>Presidency</strong> issued what<br />

it described as<br />

clarification on the issue<br />

yesterday, saying Mr.<br />

Austin Enejamo-Isire<br />

was the person actually<br />

appointed to head the<br />

<strong>NSITF</strong> Board.<br />

In a statement by the<br />

Special Adviser to the<br />

President on Media and<br />

Publicity, Chief Femi<br />

Adesina, the <strong>Presidency</strong><br />

stated that all actions<br />

taken by the Minister in<br />

resuscitation of the fund<br />

as well as the<br />

administrative probe<br />

panel had President<br />

Buhari’s approval.<br />

The statement, entitled<br />

“Facts of the matter, by<br />

<strong>Presidency</strong>”, read:<br />

“Following the<br />

disagreement between<br />

the Federal Ministry of<br />

<strong>Labour</strong><br />

and<br />

Employment and the<br />

leadership of the<br />

Nigerian <strong>Labour</strong><br />

Congress, NLC, over<br />

the appointment of<br />

chairman of the board of<br />

the Nigeria Social<br />

Insurance Trust Fund<br />

(<strong>NSITF</strong>), the <strong>Presidency</strong><br />

wishes to clarify as<br />

follows: “That the <strong>NSITF</strong><br />

is a hundred per cent,<br />

Federal Government of<br />

Nigeria owned<br />

insurance parastatal,<br />

under the supervision of<br />

the Federal Ministry of<br />

<strong>Labour</strong><br />

and<br />

Employment, designed<br />

for the role of insuring<br />

workers (employees) in<br />

the public and private<br />

sectors.<br />

‘’The organization is<br />

empowered by law to<br />

implement the<br />

Synod —From right: Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa; Lord Bishop of Asaba Diocese,<br />

Rt. Revd. Justus Mogekwu and Bishop, Diocese of Dutse Synod and Guest Preacher, Rt Revd Markus<br />

Danbinta, during the Diocese of Asaba (Anglican Communion) Ecclesiastical Province of Bende, first<br />

session of the 15th Synod, at St Paul's Anglican Church, Ubulu-Okiti, Delta State, yesterday.<br />

E m p l o y e e<br />

Compensation Act<br />

(ECA) 2010 with<br />

mandate to insure<br />

workers and pay them<br />

compensation for<br />

accidents, deaths and<br />

injuries in the course of<br />

work.<br />

“The <strong>NSITF</strong> was<br />

bedeviled and riddled<br />

with corruption<br />

between 2012 and<br />

2015, which resulted in<br />

a colossal loss and<br />

mismanagement of<br />

about N48 billion out of<br />

the total N62 billion<br />

contributions during<br />

the said period. These<br />

were contributions by<br />

the Employers – viz<br />

government and the<br />

private sector for<br />

payment<br />

of<br />

compensation to<br />

workers and even to<br />

Employers for loss of<br />

man-hours by their<br />

workers.<br />

“This fraud has been<br />

investigated by the<br />

Economic and<br />

Financial Crimes<br />

Commission, EFCC,<br />

and the last chairman<br />

and some members of<br />

the former board and<br />

some officials of the<br />

<strong>NSITF</strong> are currently<br />

being prosecuted by the<br />

EFCC.<br />

“All actions taken by<br />

the Minister of <strong>Labour</strong><br />

and Employment<br />

towards the<br />

resuscitation and<br />

repositioning of this<br />

ailing agency,<br />

including the<br />

Administrative Panel of<br />

Inquiry into the affairs<br />

of <strong>NSITF</strong> and the<br />

suspension of the<br />

inauguration of the<br />

board in 2018 were part<br />

of the special work plan<br />

approved for the<br />

Minister by Mr.<br />

President.<br />

“The appointment of<br />

the Chairman of this<br />

board, which is in<br />

consonance with Sec.<br />

4(a) of the <strong>NSITF</strong> Act<br />

CAP N88 of 2004, was<br />

also approved by Mr.<br />

President since 23rd<br />

July, 2018 on the<br />

recommendation of the<br />

Minister.<br />

‘’Mr. Austin Enejamo-<br />

Isire, a Chartered<br />

Accountant, Fellow,<br />

Institute of Chartered<br />

Accountants of Nigeria<br />

(ICAN) and renowned<br />

Insurance expert,<br />

Senior Member,<br />

Chartered Institute of<br />

Insurance of Nigeria<br />

(CIIN), Chartered<br />

Institute of Bankers of<br />

Nigeria (CIBN) and<br />

Chartered Institute of<br />

Taxation of Nigeria<br />

(CITN) was approved<br />

by Mr. President for<br />

this position.<br />

“Also approved by Mr.<br />

President were the<br />

Managing Director and<br />

three Executive<br />

Directors who had<br />

assumed duties since<br />

April 18, 2017.<br />

“Others also<br />

approved as Non-<br />

Executive Directors are<br />

two members to<br />

represent the Nigerian<br />

<strong>Labour</strong> Congress, NLC,<br />

two members to<br />

represent the Nigerian<br />

E m p l o y e r s ’<br />

Consultative<br />

Association, NECA,<br />

and one member each<br />

to represent the Central<br />

Bank of Nigeria and the<br />

Federal Ministry of<br />

<strong>Labour</strong><br />

and<br />

Employment. Members<br />

of this board are to be<br />

formally inaugurated at<br />

9 a.m. on Monday May<br />

13, 2019 (today) by the<br />

Minister of <strong>Labour</strong> and<br />

Employment at the<br />

Banquet Hall of the<br />

Presidential Villa, Aso<br />

Rock, Abuja.<br />

“Comrade Frank<br />

<strong>Kokori</strong>, our respected<br />

veteran labour leader,<br />

has Mr. President’s<br />

immense respect and<br />

has also been appointed<br />

on<br />

the<br />

recommendation of the<br />

Minister of <strong>Labour</strong> and<br />

Employment to chair<br />

the board of Michael<br />

Imoudu National<br />

Institute for <strong>Labour</strong><br />

Studies (MINILS), a<br />

diploma awarding<br />

labour institution.<br />

“Finally, the<br />

<strong>Presidency</strong> has noted<br />

with deep concern and<br />

regrets, the events that<br />

culminated in a<br />

skirmish at the private<br />

residence of the<br />

Minister of <strong>Labour</strong> and<br />

Employment, and<br />

condemns it, in its<br />

entirety.<br />

“However, in the<br />

spirit of reconciliation,<br />

the <strong>Presidency</strong> appeals<br />

for calm from the NLC<br />

and the Ministry of<br />

<strong>Labour</strong><br />

and<br />

Employment officials,<br />

as there are ongoing<br />

efforts to reconcile the<br />

NLC leadership with<br />

the Ministry of <strong>Labour</strong><br />

and Employment, led<br />

by their Minister who<br />

has doggedly been<br />

fighting the cause of<br />

Nigerian workers<br />

whenever their issue is<br />

discussed by<br />

government, the latest<br />

being the enactment of<br />

the new National<br />

Minimum Wage Act<br />

2019. “<br />

NUPENG slams<br />

<strong>Presidency</strong> over<br />

<strong>Kokori</strong><br />

Also, reacting,<br />

President of Nigeria<br />

Union of Petroleum and<br />

Natural Gas Workers,<br />

NUPENG, Prince<br />

Williams Akporeha, said<br />

the claim by the<br />

<strong>Presidency</strong> that <strong>Kokori</strong><br />

was never appointed<br />

was a lie from the pit of<br />

hell, alleging that it was<br />

orchestrated by Ngige to<br />

achieve<br />

a<br />

predetermined agenda.<br />

He said: ‘’The claims<br />

by the <strong>Presidency</strong> that<br />

<strong>Kokori</strong> was never<br />

appointed are lies from<br />

the pit of hell. It is part<br />

of the conspiracy by the<br />

cabal that does not want<br />

<strong>Kokori</strong> because of what<br />

he stands for - integrity,<br />

honesty, transparency<br />

and straightforwardness.<br />

‘’Can Ngige swear<br />

that he never<br />

congratulated <strong>Kokori</strong><br />

over his appointment?<br />

Can Ngige swear that he<br />

never met with <strong>Kokori</strong><br />

for about four times on<br />

the issue of his<br />

inauguration? Can<br />

Ngige swear that he<br />

never sent <strong>Kokori</strong>’s<br />

name to DSS for<br />

screening ahead of the<br />

inauguration?<br />

‘’Look, the statement<br />

by the <strong>Presidency</strong> that<br />

<strong>Kokori</strong> was never<br />

appointed was<br />

orchestrated by Ngige<br />

for his personal<br />

aggrandizement.”

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