by Victor Ahiuma-Young

THE refusal of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, to inaugurate the board of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, several months after it was named, has continued to be a source of concern to stakeholders, especially organised labour.

Ngige

One of the concerned stakeholders, Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, ASSBIFI, in an interactive session with Labour Writers Association of Nigeria, LAWAN, in Lagos, as part of activities marking its 40th anniversary, contended that the law that set up NSITF made it clear that the fund should be managed by a board.

President of the association, Mrs Oyinkan Olasanoye, pleaded with the Minister to inaugurate the board to curb corruption and protect workers’ benefits.

She lamented that the minister had been appointing one committee after another, to investigate, review the work of the committee and so on, urging stakeholders to join hands together and ensure that NSITF does not die.

Olasanoye who is the first woman to lead the association, said the union was avoiding industrial action to press home its demand on NSITF because of negative effect of industrial action on the financial sector and the nation’s economy.

While stressing that ASSBIFI had opted for negotiations and dialogue, she said: “We believe in collective bargaining and will not allow anything to becloud our judgment because workers’ benefits are being entrusted to NSITF. We appeal to the minister to inaugurate the board of NSITF. The Act that set up NSITF states that there should be a board and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour should  represent the minister.

“So if there is a board and the permanent secretary represents the Minister on the board, the minister should not say there are corrupt practices in the organisation when he has a representative there. We do not think that it is now that he is refusing to inaugurate the board that there will be no corrupt practices there. We feel the more people are there, the better.”

Olasanoye urged journalists not to relent in their efforts at promoting industrial harmony in the country and step up advocacy on workers’ welfare, saying: “That ASSBIFI is 40 years is not the big deal; but what ASSBIFI has been able to achieve in this turbulent and capitalist-ridden economy is the big deal. I am proud to say that ASSBIFI has come of age as we have a robust and intimidating image within the shores of the nation and in the  Diaspora. We have demonstrated unprecedented integrity in the course of protecting the interest and welfare of our members.”

She appealed to the National Assembly to amend the Labour Act to “arrest ugly consequences of casualisation of workers” in the country which, she noted, might encourage corruption.

She said the union had negotiated with banks that laid off their staff to ensure that the workers got their severance packages.