Reps Summon Labour Minister Over Failure To Constitute NSITF Board

Oluwakemi Kindness

The House of Representatives on Tuesday summoned the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi, over his failure to inaugurate the board of Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund.

The House Committee on Public Petitions, issued the petition in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.

Petitioning the committee, Obasi-Pherson Help Foundation, a non governmental organization, complained that President Bola Tinubu had appointed the Managing Director of the Fund but was yet to name and inaugurate the board several months after.

“This is a huge aberration as the absence of the board is giving way to a wide range of illegalities in the running of the affairs of agency”, the NGO wrote.

Reacting to the petition, Chairman of the House committee, Mike Etaba, in a statement by the Head of media, Chooks Oko, enjoined the Minister to appear in person to answer to the petition.

” The government is being indicted, so it is only logical that the Minister clears the air on the matter” he says.

The committee has also invited the Managing Director of the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Faleye Mayomi to appear before it on the strength of a petition against the agency for suspected violation of its projects clearance regulations.

The petitioners, Advancement of Social Justice and Economic Development Initiative (ASJEDI), wants the agency to explain some of their actions which they claim are at variance with their mandate.

” Ours is to serve Nigerians efficiently and ensure the right thing is done, always. Inviting the CEO is for him to throw more light on the issues at hand” Etaba explains.