By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke
ABUJA — THE Senate and House of Representatives Joint committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity has summoned the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Chris Ngige, over alleged skewed employment at the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF.

Ngige was summoned to appear  next  Tuesday  at the National Assembly with the Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Shettima Bukar-Abba and Managing Director of NSITF, Umar Munir Abubakar.

According to the National Assembly, the summon became imperative because in the said employment exercise, the Minister made it possible for Anambra State, his home state, to get 44 out of the 131 available, with some states such as Katsina and Kwara getting 1 and none respectively.

Dr Chris Ngige

The joint committee, which accused the minister of impunity and gross abuse of office, in a resolution reached during a meeting with NSITF yesterday, however, cancelled the exercise undertaken by the ministry between July and September this year.

Chairman of the Joint Committee, Senator Suleiman Nazif, APC, Bauchi, while lamenting the skewed employment allegedly overseen by Ngige, stressed that same was in violation of the Federal Character principle.

He said: “ Employment is of paramount importance and the committee should ensure that employment is done in a manner to reflect the principles of federal character.

‘’I think there is something going on in NSITF that no one is willing to talk about. It is clear that the Minister, Chris Ngige, is responsible for this irregularity, impunity and anomaly, resulting in gross abuse of his office, and we will take action on it.‘’

The senator, who urged the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, to brief President Muhammadu Buhari on the development, which he said was intended to indict the committee, said: ‘’We want you, Senator Ita Enang, to inform the President about it, because he is trying to put this committee in trouble. Anambra has 44, while other states have 2 or even 1.”

In his response, Senator Ita Enang assured the committee that the Presidency was prepared to address the issue of lopsidedness in employment in government parastatals and agencies, adding that the federal character principle would be strictly complied with.

“Let me just say that I just received this document this morning. I will relate back with the executive on this, and we will speak with the committee, and make a representation, and where we’ve gone wrong, we will address it.

“Federal character is compulsory, and we’ll address it. I apologize it has to come to this level before we address it. I’ve listened to the hard sentiments lawfully expressed and, therefore, apologize.”