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Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives, yesterday, resolved to investigate the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, for alleged breach of presidential directive on the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
The House while adopting a motion by Leke Abejide, on incessant and arbitrary breach of presidential direcrives on the suspension of top management and executive committee members of NSITF, berated Ngige, for by-passing approved procedures for removal of heads of government agencies.
Consequently, the House mandated an ad-hoc committee headed by Mariam Onuoha, to undertake the investigation and report back in one week for further legislative actions.
The ad-hoc committee is also expected to probe alleged breach of procurement procedures and financial malpractices in the NSITF.
Abejide, in his lead debate, informed the House that though a presidential directive issued by the Office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation (OSGF) dated May 19, 2020 barred ministers from unilaterally removing a serving chief executive of any government agency, Ngige allegedly violated the directive.
According to him, “it is surprising that a Ministry saddled with the responsibility of mediating in labour matters and solving labour issues on behalf of Government and People of Nigeria would flagrantly disobey laid down procedures of government in its unilateral dissolution of the Executive and Management Committee of an employee compensatory agency, thereby jeopardising the purpose and essence of its establishment particularly in this COVID-19 era.”
The lawmaker stated the suspension of the NSITF management was illegal and should be reversed immediately, while future disciplinary actions should follow due process.
