The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has again postponed, indefinitely, the inauguration of the Board on Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
This follows the inability of the supervising Minister, Dr. Chris Ngige, to inaugurate the board as scheduled last Thursday, due largely to the last minutes substitution of the name of Comrade Frank Kokori, the former general secretary of NUPENG, as the Chairman of the NSITF board.
Nigeria labour movement, led by the President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, had unanimously condemned the removal of Comrade Kokori, blaming the labour minister, whom they claimed had “deliberately delayed the inauguration of the board.”
The NLC president had on Thursday led the leadership of labour movement, which include the NUPENG President, Comrade Williams Akporeha, NULGE President, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel and the President General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, who are members of the board; and the dropped Comrade Kokori to the venue of inauguration.
Sensing that labour would protest the removal and replacement of Frank Kokori, the minister stayed away from the inauguration and sent a director in the ministry to announce its cancellation.
In an official statement issued by the Assistant Director, Press, Mrs Rhoda Iliya, the ministry described the cancellation as painful and regrettable.
The one-paragraph statement read: “Due to circumstances beyond our control, the inauguration of the board of the NSITF billed for today (Thursday) has been cancelled. The inconveniences caused by this cancellation are most painfully regretted.’’
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