The two major domestic workers’ unions in the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund,(NSITF), Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance, and Financial Institutions, (ASSBIFI) and the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees, (NUBIFIE), have thrown their weight behind the Management team led by the Managing Director, Barrister Oluwaseun Faleye, saying the Management has embarked on reconstruction and re-engineering.
The Unions made their position known in a letter to the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Muhammadu Dingyadi, signed jointly by the President, ASSBIFI, his General Secretary and their counterparts in NUBIFIE.
The Unions commended Dr Dingyadi for his efforts in ensuring “a sustainable work environment”, ability to entrench decent work value and workers’ participation in national development.
Digging into the main issue, the Unions wrote, “Sir, we are equally proud to relate to the leadership qualities of the current Management team of NSITF led by Barrister Olúwaṣeun Faleye who has embarked on reconstruction and re-engineering of NSITF (Fund) to accomplish its strategic objectives since their assumption of duty.”
They further commended the management’s ability “to drive positive change and ensure that the Fund’s resources are utilised effectively,” adding that the management’s efforts have yielded significant and visible results as well as improved corporate performance and efficiency.
Among other measures taken to reposition the NSITF for better service delivery, the Unions highlighted, include stoppage of the digitalisation contract (E-NSITF) and facilitation of amendments to the NSITF Act 1993 and the Employees’ Compensation Act 2010, for which they said “some desperate individuals are targeting the management for blackmail.”
The workers’ unions described the digitalisation contract as fraudulent in origin, lacking in value and meeting with stiff opposition from workers right from its inception, adding that users rejected the platform due to contractor’s flaws.
They argued that the cancellation prevented further waste of funds and demonstrated the management’s commitment to transparency and accountability in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s transparency agenda while describing it as “a bold step in the right direction … which deserves the support of all.”
In the same vein, NUBIFIE and ASSBIFI NSITF’s units said amendments to NSITF Act 1993 and ECA 2010 were long overdue, even as they expressed support for steps taken so far by the Management to amend the enabling Acts, which they argued, were to further enhance the Fund’s efficiency and service delivery.
“It is pertinent to state that the amendments are geared towards empowering the Fund, clarify ambiguities, resolve conflicting provisions with other legislations and provide a firm framework for the Fund’s operations so as to provide safety net for workers in Nigeria who may be injured, sick, disabled or die in the course of carrying out their work.”
The workers’ Unions expressed optimism that the amendments, when passed, would make “the Fund more accessible and better equipped to serve its mandate.”
They affirmed their unflinching support for the management in its efforts so far as they condemned “some misleading actions and blackmail against the current management exco by some desperate individuals who are committed to either stagnating or retrogressing the Fund for personal gains.”
They therefore, appealed to the Honourable Minister to “disregard such maligning tendencies no matter the status of individuals behind it” and to align with NSITF’s “Management’s decision to discontinue the digitalisation contract and support the ongoing amendments of NSITF Act 1993 and ECA 2010 by the National Assembly.”
They further appealed to the Minister for effective oversight, collaboration, understanding and support for the current NSITF Management’s efforts in their sincere pursuit to reposition the Fund to its deserving heights.”
The letter to the honourable Minister of Labour and Employment was jointly signed by Bala Tijani, President ASSBIFi- NSITF unit, Godwin Ekpah, General secretary, ASSBIFI- NSITF unit and Simon Wenzamma, Chairman, NUBIFIE -NSITF unit and Miller Gudopwa Secretary, NUBIFIE -NSITF unit.
