The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) has described the Employees’ Compensation Scheme of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) as a pivotal instrument for the re-positioning of the welfare of the Nigerian workers.
The Comptroller General of the Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, said this in his remarks when he received the Managing Director of the NSITF, Maureen Allagoa who led her team to the headquarters of the Service in Abuja, on a courtesy visit.
Represented by the Deputy Comptroller General in charge of Training, Ahmad Muhammad, the Service commended the Federal Government for the Employees’ Compensation Scheme, describing it as a laudable programme created to alleviate the pains of workers who suffer in the course of work and help immediate families of workers who may lose their lives in work-related accidents.
He said, “We are happy that the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund deemed it fit to foster good relationship with our organization. We are also happy that the NSITF found it necessary to recognize and partner the Nigerian Correctional Service for the welfare of our staff and the nation at large.
“We will collaborate where necessary with the NSITF to foster the growth and development of the service while looking forward to more areas of cooperation.”
Earlier in his speech, the Executive Director, Operations of the NSITF, Modu Gana, who represented the Managing Director said the ECS does not benefit only workers but also their employers.
“Even when an employer makes contributions for years without any of its staff getting injured, thereby making no claims, he still gains, for that is part of the primary focus of the scheme.
“And that is to prevent workplace accidents and promote a healthy workforce through the occupational hazard trainings which our trained officers provide to establishments nationwide, free of charge.”
He disclosed that a total of 670 dependent beneficiaries and 852 disability beneficiaries are currently on the monthly payroll of the Fund.
He further asserting that “ the businesses of some of the employers of these injured workers who are on our monthly payroll have ceased to exist, yet we still pay them.
“We currently also have a number of deceased dependents who we are taking care of till their last child is 21years old or graduates from the tertiary institution. You can now see why the NSITF is a social security agency as different from a regular insurance company.”
In the same, the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund has assured the Nigerian Immigration Service that the dependents of their two staff members who lately lost their lives in the course of work, can benefit from the Employees’ Compensation, having registered with the scheme, and being an agency of government.
The Managing Director of the NSITF, Maureen Allagoa made the clarification recently in Abuja when she responded to a question by the Deputy Comptroller General of Immigration in charge of Finance and Accounts, Dora Amahian who received her and her team on behalf of the Acting Comptroller General, Wura-Ola Adepoju during a sensitization meeting at the headquarters of the Immigration Service.
Amahian had asked if the two staff of the Service who died recently in a ghastly motor accident in the course of assignment can be covered by the ECS .
Allagoa in the affirmative response, said that the recent circular from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on mandatory ECS contributions is binding on all Ministries, Departments and Agencies, noting that the backlog of payment to be made by the MDAs as contained in the circular dates back to 2012.
According to her, under the Employees’ Compensation Scheme, the family of any enrollee who dies in the course of work will be taken care of by the NSITF until the last child attains the age of 21 or graduated from the university and on the condition that that beneficiary is totally dependent on the deceased.
She said, “if an agency of government like the Immigration Service which is registered has a staff with work-related injury or death, the NSITF can pay claims to the worker or the dependents as the case may be, in as much as the accident is properly reported under twenty-one days, documented and contributions commenced. Remember that the backlog owed by the MDAs dating to 2012 are meant to be cleared in line with the Federal Government Circular.
“So in the case of the two staff of the Immigration Service who died in the course of work, the NSITF will pay claims to their dependents once the Service takes the steps mentioned above by properly registering the incident and making the appropriate 1% contribution.”
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