The management of the Nigeria Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, has vowed that individuals and groups seeking to extort money from the organisation through unsubstantiated allegations and innuendos are wasting time as the Fund would never succumb to such blackmailers, no matter how hard they try.

The Managing Director of the Fund, Maureen Allagoa, who made the vow Tuesday in Abuja, said corruption allegations against the management of the Fund, were nothing but falsehood and the handiwork of extortionists, blackmailers and detractors.

The NSITF boss who was reacting to a statement by a civil society group: Anti-Corruption, Good Governance and Human Rights Watch Network (AGHRWN), that rot of corruption oozes in the agency under her watch.

She said that NSITF has nothing to hide, and went on to say that the agency’s books are open for public scrutiny since she was appointed in 2023.

Contained in a statement signed by the Fund’s General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Nwachukwu Godson, Allagoa, further said there have been orchestrated waves of uninformed and baseless publications by phantom groups and persons sponsored to tarnish the image of NSITF and vowed that no amount of falsehood, blackmail, and threats  will stop her management  from taking the ongoing transformation of  the agency along the 8-Point Agenda of the Tinubu administration to fruition.

“We have nothing to hide, and our books have been open for public scrutiny since I was appointed as the Managing  Director/Chief Executive of the NSITF in 2023. Upon appointment, my EXCO set a target whose thrust lies in the  reform of the agency to fully implement  the Employees Compensation Scheme.

“The truth is that the NSITF at the moment is probably one of the most scrutinized agencies of government and no verdict of guilt has been established  beyond the usual nebulous tattletales and beer parlour gossip that lack logic and facts.”

“Following  petitions from Nigerians, among  whom are those with genuine concerns and others  with undisguised mal fide, the anti-corruption agencies have been investigating those petitions but are yet to  pin any wrong doing to me or  my EXCO.

“We therefore dare those behind these publications to make available to the public, one proven case of corruption against the NSITF since I assumed office in February 2023.

“Urging  the ICPC and EFCC  to investigate the NSITF with indictment in mind is an exercise in vain for we  fear no scrutiny.  We went the extra mile  to revive the anti-corruption unit in the fund, resourced them to effectively discharge their duty, and thereby  primed all  staff towards transparency.

“In the past one year, the fund has held only one procurement process, apart from an  ongoing one which  is for the procurement of the internet-based information technology facilities, without which the day to day running of the Fund  will grind to a halt.

“We convened  the Parastatals Tenders Board to endorse and transmit same to the Ministerial Tenders Board to equally approve or reject. When a certain phony Anti-Corruption, Good Governance and Human Rights  Watch Network accused the fund of “violating public procurement process,” we wondered where and how.

“Even though we have restrained ourselves from descending into the vortex of recriminations with faceless persons and groups, there is no better time to call the bluff of these amorphous people.  Prove your allegations or stay away! Nigerians are not wet behind the ears or ripe for the picking. Nigerians are not gullible to buy into unsubstantiated sweeping allegations, punctuated with threats.

“Yesterday there was a deliberate distortion of facts about the N47m payment which the committee set up by the former Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Simon Lalong investigated and found no wrongdoing.” She said.

She also said; “The detractors were not tired as they went on to allege that PAYE deductions as well as National Housing Fund under the previous administration were not remitted to the appropriate bodies. This also failed at the consistent knocking of facts as we showed evidence to the contrary.”

“ Why have our traducers not investigated hundreds of dependent and disability beneficiaries on our monthly payroll? Are they aware of the number of deceased dependents who are under the care of the NSITF until the last child graduates from a high institution or attains the 21 years of age?

“What then is this “oozing corruption” as alleged by AGHRWN and cohorts? Is it that despite challenges, the NSITF in the last one year, conducted 5,592 Occupational Safety and Health Awareness exercises to reduce accidents in  workplaces across the nation?

“ Is it that we dispensed social security benefits under different compensation packages to 20,531 beneficiaries in one year?  For the benefits of critics, these first two steps of the Employees’ Compensation are interdependent or inversely proportional. Topnotch occupational safety and health brings down the incidence of workplace accidents, hence , reduction in amount paid out as claims and compensation.

“With all these achievements and more, I wonder the reason some persons are determined to continue casting the NSITF in bad light.”

The Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, has on behalf of the Government and good people of Anambra State, congratulated His Majesty, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe, CFR, mni, the revered Obi of Onitsha, on the occasion of his 83rd birthday anniversary.

In his congratulatory message, Governor Soludo extolled the excellent royal qualities and contributions of Igwe Achebe to the growth and development of Anambra State

He noted that the first-class monarch’s exceptional leadership and wise counsel have been invaluable assets to the traditional institution and societal peace in Anambra State and beyond.

A statement by Christian Aburime, Press Secretary to the Governor noted that Soludo also commended Igwe Achebe’s impact as the Chancellor of the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, and formerly Chancellor of Kogi State University, esteemed positions of leadership which have seen him demonstrate a steadfast commitment to the advancement of education and human capital development in our dear country.

Governor Soludo, therefore, on this special occasion joins the royal family, friends, and well-wishers to celebrate this icon of our time, a quintessential leader, a bridge builder and an embodiment of wisdom, integrity and service to humanity.

He quoted Soludo to have prayed for God’s continued blessings to the royal father and grant him more years in the throne in good health.

*May the Almighty God continue to bless His Majesty, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe, with good health, renewed strength, greater wisdom and many more years of purposeful leadership and service to our dear State and Nigeria,” Aburime stated.

The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC and other affiliate bodies of organised labour Monday, picketed the office of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC and some other states across the country to protest the hike in consumption tariffs.

They insisted on total reversal of the recent electricity tariff hike before considering the option of dialogue.

The NERC had raised the electricity tariff from N65/kwh to N225/Kwh for Band A users.

The federal government later approved a marginal slash, which labour rejected and demanded full reversal.

The unions had also asked NERC to stop what it described as “discriminatory practice” of segregating electricity consumers into “arbitrary” bands

In Abuja, members of the organised labour, civil society organisations and concerned Nigerians, who protested and locked up the headquarters of NERC, rejected the appeal of the commission.

The protesters, who were led by the President of NLC, Joe Ajaero and his counterpart from TUC, Festus Osifo, as early as 8:00am, insisted on total reversal of the recent electricity tariff hike.

Addressing the visibly angry protesters, the Chairman of NERC, Sanusi Garba, said the commission would go back to the drawing board concerning some of the demands listed by the organised labour.

Garba said, “On behalf of the NERC, I want to welcome the comrades who have come here on a peaceful demonstration. We have taken note of all you have said, particularly about the affordability of tariffs. We have listened to you and the concerns of Nigerians.

“We also noted clearly what Comrade Ajaero said about energy sources, and I would like to say that the new Zungeru power plant is already online, generating over 600 megawatts. We are also working hard to ramp up solar generation in such a way that tariffs will start to come down.

“Comrade Ajaero also made remarks about banks sitting on the boards of distribution companies. The NERC had earlier given deadlines to all the banks to exit from the boards of distribution companies because we want proper investors on the boards of these companies.

“We have noted your concerns and we will go back to the drawing board.”

But the protesters shouted on top of their voice that they did not want “going back to the drawing board” but a total reversal of the hike to the status quo, while chanting, “No, No, reverse the hike, we demand total reversal of electricity tariff hike !!!.”

While addressing the management of NERC and other protesters, Ajaero said Nigerians are currently wallowing in “power poverty” given the abysmal low supply of electricity.

The labour leader explained that the current supply generated by Nigeria is not even enough for Lagos, which is just one state in Nigeria, adding that the move by the NERC to hike tariff without engagements with stakeholders in the power sector was faulty.

He said, “We are here on a peaceful protest, having written so many letters to NERC to remind them that they cannot increase tariffs without meeting with Nigerians. We reminded them that the process of increasing tariffs requires that they meet with all stakeholders, including labour.

“We do not know where this current tariff is coming from. NERC is not oblivious to the fact that Nigeria is wallowing in power poverty. Nigeria is down the line as one of the countries in the world that are poor in terms of power supply.

“What Nigeria is generating today is not enough for Lagos alone and it is bad enough for you now to tell us that some Nigerians are bigger than the others. It is bad enough for you to say some Nigerians will get 20 hours while other Nigerians will get two hours.”