Nigerian Correctional Service has described the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS) of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) as a pivotal instrument for the re-positioning of the welfare of the Nigerian workers.
Comptroller General of the Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, made the remark while receiving the NSITF Managing Director, Maureen Allagoa, who led her team to the headquarters of the service in Abuja.
Represented by the Deputy Comptroller General in charge of Training, Ahmad Muhammad, the service commended the Federal Government for the Employees’ Compensation Scheme, describing it as a laudable programme created to alleviate the pains of workers who suffer in the course of work and help immediate families of workers who may unfortunately lose their lives in work-related accidents. “We are happy the NSITF deemed it fit to foster good relationship with our organisation. We are also happy that the NSITF found it necessary to recognise and partner the Nigerian Correctional Service for the welfare of our staff and the nation at large.
“We will collaborate where necessary with the NSITF to foster the growth and development of the service while looking forward to more areas of cooperation.”
Nababa noted that though the service has a contributory welfare scheme which it established in 2006, it was ready to embrace the wider opportunities offered by ECS with which it registered since 2013.
Executive Director, Operations of NSITF, Modu Gana, who represented the managing director, said the ECS does not benefit only workers but also their employers, emphasising that beyond compensation, the primary target of the scheme was to prevent work place accidents and ensure a healthy national workforce. He disclosed 670 dependent beneficiaries and 852 disability beneficiaries are currently on the monthly payroll of the fund, further asserting that “the businesses of some of the employers of these injured workers who are on our monthly payroll have ceased to exist, yet we still pay them.”
Meanwhile, the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State has enrolled into the Employees’ Compensation Scheme.
Addressing the visiting compliance officers of the NSITF, led by the Abakiliki Branch Manager, Adaku Onwudiwe, the Registrar of the university, Ifeanyi Igwe, described the numerous benefits of the scheme as laudable and commended the Federal Government for making it mandatory for all ministries departments and agencies to embrace, further urging the fund to live up to expectations.