By Joan Nwagwu
The Minster of the Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has assured the compliance of all the Ministry’s agencies to the Employees Compensation Scheme(ECS), of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund(NSITF).
Tunji-Ojo said this during an advocacy visit by Mr Oluwaseun Faleye, Managing Director of the NSITF in Abuja over the weekend.
This was contained in a statement signed by Mr Nwachukwu Godson, General Manager, Corporate Affairs. NSIT
The minister urged the Fund to work towards a fair and equitable work environment beneficial to both the strong and weak in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration.
According to him, the Employees’ Compensation Act is a law that must be obeyed to guarantee social safety net to workers in the formal and informal sectors.
“What Mr President wants is a new Nigeria, a Nigeria that will work not just for the strong but also for the weak, a renewed hope: to give hope even in the most hopeless situation, that’s what he wants.
“I believe that as young people, we are in a better position to to think out of the box, to be able to create a new Nigeria.
“To also change the story, re-write it that generations coming can be proud of. Nobody can write such a story better than we can,”he said.
Tunji-Ojo qlso said that the Employees’ Compensation Scheme is a creation of the law and pledged the compliance of all the agencies under the Ministry of Interior to the scheme.
He added that, for us as Ministry of Interior, Federal Fire Service, Correctional Service, Immigration Service, National Identity Management Commission, others, we will obey the law.
“Putting it in proper perspective, the risk my officers take every day is huge, my officers at the border, when they are there, you never know what can happen.
“They don’t sleep so that we all can sleep. They go hungry so that we can eat, they sacrifice their blood, their sweat, and everything for this country.
“We will make sure that all the agencies under the boards of the ministry obey the law. It is a law, and compliance is mandatory,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo howwever commended Faleye on his appointment and also commended him for his impressive performance, which had yielded results within months on saddle.
“I congratulate you for the good job you started, but of course, you have a long way to go. Your biggest asset is what you have, your creativity, and innovation. I know you have the capacity to do that.
The ninister also highlighted the need for direct deductions of ECS contributions from the accounts of ministries, parastatals and agencies of the federal government in line with the law.
He also stressed the need for accountable and transparent use of all funds.
The managing drector of the NSITF, Oluwaseun Faleye also underlined the preparedness of the NSITF to support the economic renaissance of Mr President.
H further said that the benefits of the ECS to workers and employers was unquantifiable.
He said that the Interior Ministry with agencies whose employees work in difficult terrains are better assured of better safety cover with the ECS.
“It is also very important to speak about the benefits that are expected if there is compliance with the law.
“I have mentioned the payment of medical refunds, where there is any injury or sickness that is work related, NSITF will step in and be responsible for such medical bills.
“In the unfortunate occurrence of death arising out of work, we will pay compensation to family members of the bereaved up to a certain threshold.
“There is also the payment of loss of productivity where employers are able to recoup loss of productivity that is associated with the death of an employee or sickness arising from work,”Faleye said.
He said that all these were important social safety nets that ultimately improve productivity in the country and that was its contribution to the economic renaissance that was being led by the president of the federal republic of Nigeria.
He added the visit was essentially to really look at all of the issues and addressed the compliance barriers that may be between NSITF and the relevant agencies.
He added that the vist was also to drive strategic initiatives together to the benefits to the nation’s workforce.