Ngige absent as crisis mars NSITF board inauguration

Crisis rocked the planned inauguration of the board of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) on Thursday, as the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, failed to show up, while the President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, led Comrade Frank Kokori and other Labour leaders to the venue.

The Minister had late on Wednesday announced unceremonious removal of the former General Secretary of NUPENG, Frank Kokori, as the chairman of the board.

The Federal Government had constituted the board in 2017, with Kokori as the chairman, but the Minister of Labour had refused to inaugurate the board, citing various reasons.

After waiting for about two hours without the sight of the minister, Ngige sent a director in the ministry to informed the Labour leaders and other members of the board that the inauguration had been postponed.

Angered by the development, Comrade Wabba said the Labour movement would not accept the manipulation being perpetrated by the minister.

Wabba said Ngige was trying to remove Kokori as the NSITF board chairman because of the integrity of the former NUPENG general secretary; afraid of what he would do on the activities of the board since the minister took over the running of the board since 2017.

He pointed out that Kokori would not hide anything from the public, and Ngige was afraid that many of their shady deals would be exposed.

Also speaking, Kokori said President Muhammadu Buhari had called him personally more than five times to congratulate him on his appointment as the chairman NSITF in the last three year; adding however that the President had not called him to say he had been removed.

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A statement issued and signed by the Assistant Director, Press in the ministry, Rhoda Iliya, on Wednesday night read: “The President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, GCON, has approved the appointment of members of the Board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), a parastatal under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.”

“The Board is headed by Mr Austin Enajemo-Isire, a Chartered Accountant, professional Insurance Executive and Banker.”

“The Board is to be inaugurated on Thursday 18th April, 2019 by the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Nwabueze Ngige, in the Honourable Minister’s Conference Room, 2nd Floor, Federal Secretariat, Phase 1, Abuja, at 11: 00am.

“In a related development, President Buhari has also approved the appointment of Comrade Ovie Kokori as the new Chairman of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, Kwara State. The appointment is with immediate effect.”