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.”