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By Nasir Kura
The Minister of Labour and Employment Dr Chris Ngige Monday inaugurated the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.
The board is chaired by Austin Enajemo-Isire, a chartered accountant, professional insurance executive and banker.
Members of the board are Mr Ade Bayo Somefun, Managing Director; Mr Jasper Azutalam, Executive Director of Finance; Mr Tijani Suleiman, Executive Director of Administration; Mrs Kemi Nelson, Executive Director (Operations); Mr Osuolale Timothy (NECA), Mrs Dutse Aminu (CBN), Dr Mohammed Yinusa, Dr Ifeoma Anyanwutaku, and Mrs Ijeoma Okoronkwo.
The minister said the new board was inaugurated following alleged fraud uncovered under the past NSITF board that is currently being investigated by anti-graft agencies.
He charged the new appointees to leave the day-to-day running of NSITF to the management of the agency, and desist from awarding contracts or reviewing upwards their remunerations and allowances by themselves.
“Though this Board is being inaugurated much later than its contemporaries, the NSITF is however better set to welcome a new Board than it was at the time when the other Boards of the Ministry were inaugurated. As you all may be aware, the last Board and Management of the NSITF left negative trails inimical to development and progress for both the human and infrastructural components of the Agency.
“The criminal investigations by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the subsequent Administrative Panel of Enquiry investigations revealed financial atrocities that would go down the annals of history of the NSITF as shameful and monstrous.
“At a time, the national dailies and social media were agog with the news of corruption and deep sleaze by some members of the previous Board in collusion with some top Management Staffof the Agency who aided and abetted the looting of both Government and Private Sector Funds of about N48 Billion from the N62 Billion contributions between 2012 – 2015 of the NSITF.
“This resulted in about four Board Members including the last Chairman being arraigned and charged to court by the EFCC. Some monies have been paid back to Government Treasury and about 37 Houses are now under forfeiture. The Administrative Panel report also indicted some Board members and NSITF Management Officers,” he said.
