Ngige To Oshiomhole: Why I Won’t Inaugurate NSITF Board As You Demanded

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has told the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, why the Board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund will not be inaugurated as demanded by the APC boss.

Ngige said this in a letter in response to an earlier one by Oshiomhole on the need for the inauguration of the NSITF Board.

He said contrary to Oshiomhole’s letter, it was not true that he refused to inaugurate the Boards of the parastatals and agencies under his ministry.

He said with the allegation of monumental fraud in the NSITF and the investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, it was not advisable to inaugurate the Board now.

Ngige said in the letter: “First, it is not true that I did refuse/neglect to inaugurate members of the re-constituted Boards of Parastatals and Agencies under the supervision of my Ministry as alleged in your letter.

“Boards of the latter three agencies have been re-constituted and members were inaugurated on March 8, 2018, in conformity with a Presidential directive. All the three Boards are currently operational.

“The only agency left out was the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF which, before the directive, had been enmeshed in major issues of corruption involving about N48billion, comprising Federal Government and Employers’ contributions to the Employees’ Compensation Fund plus some non-remitted PAYE taxes, which were carted away through well perfected sleaze operation.

“This resulted in the agency coming under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, investigation/prosecution of members of the former Board and some of her serving Officials.