Minister of labour and employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has given January 2022 deadline to the management of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) to re-adjust its staff salary structure.
Ngige gave the order at the closing ceremony of a two-day Management Performance Review of the NSITF at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Centre, Abuja.
He also gave the agency three months to fully automate its operations.
The minister, who commended the new management of NSITF for what it called “new focus and work friendly,” said the conduct of the team had justified the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to relieve the immediate past management team of its responsibilities.
In a statement issued by the ministry’s deputy director of press and public relations, Mr Charles Akpan, which was made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday, Ngige said, “When in July 2020 the President approved the suspension and later removal of the former management of the NSITF after over three years in office, the fund’s savings was at a paltry sum of N2b. The Acting Management of Kelly Nwagha who bridged the gap for less than a year, moved the savings to N8b. And in six months, the current management under Mike Akabogu has moved it to N17b. The people they succeeded in office had only N2b in the account but left a liability, debts of over N30b. Is that good management?
So, when you hear, Ngige likes to fight. Ngige doesn’t like them because they are Yoruba, do not listen to them. I’m a nationalist. I try my best to model my practice of politics after the Great Zik of Africa. If you are working with me and you do the right thing, I don’t care where you come from.
I don’t hate any tribe in Nigeria. I’m a nationalist. I have worked everywhere in Nigeria. If you are good, I will spot you out and encourage you. If you are Hausa and you do well, you are my friend, Yoruba, Igbo or other tribes, the same.
