The Federal Government has inaugurated the Presidential Joint Board and Audit Investigation Panel on the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) to investigate the management of the Fund.
Conducting the inauguration in Abuja, Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, noted that the Panel on the NSITF was established “to check the observed infractions on the Financial Regulations, Procurement Act, Public Service Rules, and other relevant and extant documents” in the management of the fund of the NSITF.
The Minister, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, William Alo, charged the Panel to “look into all the infractions of the Procurement Act and Financial Regulations raised by the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) Periodic Check Report 2015 – 2019; and the Administrative Panel’s Report into same Periodic Report of the AGF but yet to be addressed to date.”
The other terms of reference for the Panel include “to look into same issues above raised in the 2018, 2019 Budget Performance Utilisation in the Procurement, particularly Training and others as was raised by the Joint Committees of the National Assembly (NASS) on Labour and Employment and Productivity during the 2020 Budget Defence in December 2020”, among others.
Ngige also charged the Panel to look into cases of Gross Misconduct of officers, as well as investigate any other matter that would help in strengthening the operations of the Fund, and make appropriate recommendations.
The Panel has Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), as Chairman, and Mrs E. E. Ogriki, Director, Human Resources, National Productivity Centre (NPC), as Secretary.
The other members of the Panel include Dr Ifeoma Anyanwutaku, Director, Occupational Safety and Health, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment; Umma Aminu Dutse, Director, Human Resources, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); and Mr B.O. C. Omogo, Director, Organisation Design and Development, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
Membership of the Panel also comprises Mr Muhammed Katun Ahmed, Director, Audit and Monitoring, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation; Mr Nicholas Tor Mtewave, Director, Audit, Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation, and Dr Onwusoro Maduka, Director, Procurement, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The Panel has three weeks in the first instance to complete its assignment.
The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) was established to provide compensation to insured employees who become casualties of occupational hazards in the course of employment, utilizing the financial contributions made by employers of labour.
