This article was supposed to have come out during the last
May Day Celebrations but due to some circumstances beyond my control, I couldn’t
really piece it up together. But as a Nigerian who will always remain grateful
to the transmutation of the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund NSITF and as a
son with aged parents, I find it difficult to take away the drive in me to
ensure that Nigerians no matter their place of residence, religion or creed
remain inundated with the good works that have taken place at the fund in the
couple of years or so.
It is a common cliché that a well-informed society makes the
society better. One major problem our country has faced over the years is that
of lack of information. This makes it impossible for people to grow or make positive
impact in the society. As a worker and an activist who have fought for better
deal for Nigerian workers, I must state lucidly that what we are witnessing in
the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund NSITF is one of the major achievements
of the past administration from the point of view of an average Nigerian
worker. It will not be out of place to state that the last administration will
always be referred to as the most labour friendly administration in Nigeria’s
recent history. It will be recalled that aside raising the minimum wage of the
Nigerian worker, this same administration came to the rescue of the Nigerian
labour community by accenting to the Employees Compensation Act an act that
provides for the compensation of workers who may have sustained injuries in the
course of carrying out their duties.
The Employees Compensation Act which many consider as overdue
has elicited strong hope in the Nigerian worker. This Act is made much better
because it covers for both workers in private and public sectors. I remember
one of my uncles who worked in a textile factory but whose service in the
industry was caught short when his hand was accidentally amputated by one of
the machines he was working with. The sad story this uncle of mine was that he
was not even given the benefit that should have covered his amputated hand.
The above is not an isolated case because there are many more
who are suffering such ugly plight in various sectors. The enactment of the
Employee Compensation Act to compensate workers by the 7th Senate no
matter the vitriol against them from any quarter will go down well as one of
its success stories.
The fact that today the Nigerian social Insurance Trust Fund
can be said to be the country’s flagship for social security cannot be overemphasized.
Apart from the Employees Compensation Act, the NSITF under the Dr. Ngozi
Olejeme led board is also saddled with the responsibility of providing social
security to the aged and unemployed. To underscore the transformation of the
NSITF from a moribund government institution
to Nigeria’s social security flagship and to buttress the impact of providing
social security to the aged and unemployed, it is pertinent to quote the Managing
Director of the board Mr. Munir Abubakar who posited that “The lack of any kind of social security is
more pronounced among the vulnerable groups such as people with disability,
orphans, widows and old people who are largely outside the labour force and
cannot count on family support and who have not made adequate provision for
their own pensions.” He therefore
declared that the adoption of basic social security floor for Nigerians cannot
be over-emphasized adding, “it will establish and implement a non-contributory
social security scheme to provide protection floor containing basic social
security guarantees that will ensure that over the life cycle of citizens of
Nigeria in need can afford and have access to essential healthcare and have
income security at least at a nationally defined minimum level. All persons
ordinarily resident in the country will have the financial protection to access
a nationally defined set of essential healthcare services including maternal
healthcare, all children enjoy income security at least at a nationally defined
minimum level through family/child benefits in cash or in kind aimed at
facilitating access to nutrition, education and care. Those who are unable to
earn sufficient income enjoy minimum income security through social assistance;
maternity benefits, disability benefits, and other social transfer in cash or
in kind. These are the benefits that are expected to accrue to Nigerian who are
socially excluded.”
As the present administration gears up to impact on
Nigerians, it is the expectations of all Nigerian workers that the legacy of Dr.
Ngozi Juliet Olejeme as Chairman of the board of the Fund and the Munir
Abubakar led management is sustained. Anything short of this will be a big
disappointment to the Nigerian labour force.
Adams Ede contributed this piece from Port Harcourt the
Rivers state capital
Comments
Post a Comment