By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Abuja

More state governments are set to key into the Employee Compensation Scheme of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, to enable public sector workers at the state and local governments enjoy the remarkable benefits of the scheme in the world of work.

This is as Anambra and Abia State governments at the weekend, promised that measures would be taken to enrol workers in the states into the programme.

The Employee Compensation will take care of workers enrolled in the scheme that are involved in any form of occupational hazard.

Speaking in Awka when the state Branch of the NSITF paid a sensitization visit to the Government House, the Anambra State Head of Service, Barr. Theodora Igwegbe said she would liaise with all relevant offices towards ensuring the that state government enrols its workers into the Scheme.

Igwegbe remarked that she was conversant with the Employee Compensation Act of 2010 and the enormous benefits the scheme can bring to the Government of Anambra State and her employees.

A statement issued by Nwachukwu Godson, General Manager, Corporate Affairs of  NSITF, quoted Igwegbe as saying, “While I served as the Deputy Clerk of  the Anambra State House of Assembly in 2017, I engineered a private member bill, through my representative on Employee Compensation Scheme, for possible adoption by the State Government, but that did not see the light of day.”

“With my current position as the Head of Service, I believe a great opportunity is here for me to liaise with other necessary offices in the state government towards the implementation of this laudable scheme.”

She promised to liaise with the state’s Accountant General and other relevant officers of the State government in a joint push, to actualise the programme.

Earlier while presenting his address, the NSITF team led by the Acting Manager of the Awka Branch, Mr. Okpala Chibikem said Governor Soludo’s vision of Dubai-Taiwan would receive a big boost with the enrolment of workers into Employee compensation Scheme.

According to him, “the ECA 2010 is aimed at providing guaranteed and adequate compensation to registered employees in the event of death, injury, disability or diseases arising from work or in the course of work, at the place of work or outside of it.”

“It also provides compensation to the next of kin of an employee who may die at work or in the course of work,” noting that “the one percent of the workers emoluments to be paid as contribution by the State Government is not  deductible from workers’ salaries as the State Government by ECA 2010 should shoulder the responsibility.”

Okpala was accompanied by Peter-maximus Onunkwo, the branch’s head of legal unit as well as Okey Ndubisi.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff to the Abia State Government, Ajagba Chukwurah has assured that the new administration in the state would deploy employee compensation as one of the tools to lift the lots of Abia workers.

Ajagba, who alongside the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Alex Otti on Commerce and Industry, Nwaka Inem, addressed a visiting team of the Umuahia Branch of the NSITF, commended the federal government for establishing the scheme but noted that a lot needed to be done to sensitize the public on its benefits.

In his presentation, the Manager of the Umuahia Branch of the Fund, Uzoafia Ulari informed that the Fund was making steady progress in the enrolment of private business in the State and urged the state government to avail its workers the benefits that NSITF provides by registering them.

He further stated that the family of a deceased doctor at the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia, who died in the course of work, was currently receiving death benefits from the NSITF, amidst other residents of the state who benefit from either medical expenses, disability or retirement compensations.

He averred that once claims are properly made, with all the verifiable documents attached, the NSITF does not hesitate in discharging its responsibilities. 

Uzoafia was accompanied by the Manager of the Owerri Branch of the Fund, Wogu Enyinnaya and Ngozi Awuloha, the Branch’s head of Compliance.