By Bonaventure Melah

The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, said it would soon embark on serious enforcement of the laws empowering it to get government agencies and private business owners enroll their workers on the Employee Compensation Scheme, ECS.

Barrister Oluwaseun Faleye, the Managing Director of NSITF, stated this on Wednesday at Reiz Continental Hotel, Abuja, during the official launch of the Fund’s Comprehensive Enlightenment and Enrolment Campaign which is aimed at getting more organisations, especially the private sector, to enroll in the Scheme.

Faleye said the new management of NSITF under his leadership is not happy that some employers, are reluctant to embrace ECS, which is aimed at ensuring that workers enjoy protection at work and compensation in case of accident.

He condemned some state governments and local government authorities that have not keyed into the ESC but praised Lagos state and others that have fully embraced the Scheme.

According to Barrister Faleye, his management has concluded arrangements to engage with the National Assembly in ensure that the laws establishing NSITF are strengthened to enable the agency have unhindered access to government offices and private business premises to for inspections and enforcement of laws, as according to him, Nigerian workers deserve better working condition and compensation from their employers than what they are getting currently.

He called on owners of media establishments to enroll in the ECS, in view of the risks journalists face in the course of their duties and solicited the support of the media in the Fund’s renewed determination to carry out massive enlightenment campaigns aimed at sensitizing both employers and employees on the need to embrace the Scheme, noting that the NSITF laws cover all agencies, with exception of the Armed Forces.

Faleye said he is committed to running open and transparent administration and called on journalists to put their eyes on all aspects of the Fund’s activities, by asking questions where necessary, in order to ensure transparency and accountability.

“We at NSITF recognize your role as the bride between our policies and the people. You are therefore critical stakeholders in our drive for advocacy, enlightenment and sensitization of government agencies, employers and workers,” Faleye told journalists at the events, adding that one of the reasons for the programme was, “To meet you so that we can put faces to the names we have been seeing on the reports on NSITF.”

Faleye said further that, “We have decided to engage resources in bringing awareness to the public, especially workers to understand their rights and obligations, in appreciation of the critical role of traditional and new media, reposition NSITF for effective leadership and impact.”

Earlier, while welcoming participants to the event, the Deputy General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Alexandra Mede, praised the new management of NSITF led by Barrister Oluwaseun Faleye for the reforms and innovations introduced within the short period of his stay so far.

She said that with the coming of Barrister Faleye, “NSITF has embarked on a transformative journey,” using digital platforms, adding that his management has already settled 103 while artisans, traders and others in the private sector, have been brought into the Scheme.

In a closing remark, Prof. Gabriel Okenwna, the Executive Director, Administration, praised Barrister Faleye for his leadership drive which he said has led to improved welfare of workers and better working relationship with organized labour at the Fund, adding that the new management came up with the idea of quarterly media parley, to demonstrate its openness; and to solicit the support of journalists in enlightening the public on the activities of NSITF.

The General Manager, Claims and Compensation, the General Manager, Legal and some other management staff of NSITF also attended the event.