Ngige inaugurates NSITF board — few weeks to end of tenure

Chris Ngige, the minister of labour and productivity, will on Thursday morning inaugurate the board of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).

The minister’s decision to inaugurate the board is coming a few weeks to the end of his tenure and over 18 months after President Muhammadu Buhari had appointed 11 persons to occupy positions on the board.

Ngige had previously refused to inaugurate the NSITF board following allegations of “monumental fraud” which led to an investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“In view of all these damaging reports, I had a Presidential permission not to inaugurate this particular Board at the time we did the others,” said the minister in a letter written to Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in 2018.

But on Wednesday, Rhoda Iliya, assistant director press in the ministry of labour and employment, said the board would be inaugurated on Thursday, April 18, by Ngige, in the minister’s conference room, at 11:00am.

According to Iliya, the board will be headed by Austin Enajemo-Isire, a chartered accountant, professional insurance executive and banker with Ijeoma Okoronkwo as secretary.

“The names of other board members include Olawale, Osuolale Timothy, Mohammed Yinusa, Waheed Adeyanju, Ibrahim Khaleel, Ifeoma Anyanwutaku, Dutse Aminu,” she said.

She also said others members are Jasper Azutalam, executive director, finance, Tijani Suleiman, executive admin, Kemi Nelson, executive director, operations and Ade Bayo Somefun, managing director and chief executive.

Iliya further disclosed that President Buhari has also approved the appointment of Ovie Kokori as the chairman of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, Kwara state.

She added that the appointment is with immediate effect.