The United Labour Congress (ULC) has challenged the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige to publish the names of individuals he alleged were indicted by the report on N62.5Billion fraud at Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
ULC in a statement issued by its General Secretary, Didi Adodo explained that “This is the only way to avoid raising unnecessary insinuations though the Court records are there for any member of the Public that is interested in the matter to find out who has been indicted or not”.
Didi added: “The news that appeared in some national dailies alleging that the federal Government through the instrumentality of the Federal Ministry of Labour’s Administrative Panel has uncovered fraud in the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) between 2011 and 2015 came to us with mixed feelings. It was joyful but contains a serious item that if not clarified may mislead the Public and other stakeholders of the NSITF.
“Our immediate reaction to every uncovering of alleged fraud in Nigeria anywhere is always rejoicing within our rank and file given our anti-corruption stance. We know the havoc corruption can inflict on a nation and Nigerian workers and masses are primary victims of this pervasive wickedness in our polity.
“This was therefore a cheerful news and indeed commendable. Workers’ contributions cannot be mismanaged and we keep quiet as a responsible labour centre. Any effort directed at recovering our monies that may have grown wings to us must be supported by us in the ULC since Nigerian workers are the major contributors to the Fund which actually belongs to us.
“However, we were surprised that the Minister was quoted as saying that, “those indicted included those nominated by the Nigeria Labour Congress and Nigeria Employers Consultative Association”
“Nevertheless, this is contrary to the fact that as we speak 6 former directors of the NSITF have been charged to Court by the EFCC including the NECA representative and there is no Labour man involved in it. Only the Minister can tell Nigerians where he got his own conclusions from!
“We disagree with the Honourable Minister and we want to state categorically that nolabour representative was found culpable. They were neither indicted by the EFCC investigations of the Board nor by the subsequent Administrative Panel to which they were not rightly invited having not been found with any issues to which explanations were needed.
“It is therefore a gross misrepresentation of the so-called facts or an outright mischief for the handlers of the Honourable Minister to have made that over generalized statement which attempted to rope innocent labour representatives into the alleged fraud and to which they knew nothing about.
“ULC hopes that the Minister was misquoted in that blanket statement or that he was unmindful of its overall implications before going to the Press. Whatever may be the case, it behooves the Minister now that we have reminded him of the actual facts and its consequences to do the needful by placing a rejoinder in the dailies to avoid misleading the Public in such serious matters of state.
“We challenge the honourable Minister to publish the names of the individuals he said were indicted by that report. This is the only way to avoid raising unnecessary insinuations though the Court records are there for any member of the Public that is interested in the matter to find out who has been indicted or not.
“The Honourable Minister ought to remember that EFCC’s investigations did not indict some individuals on the Board. We are also not unmindful of the implications of setting up an Administrative Panel in a matter already investigated by the EFCC which to us is a clear indictment of the EFCC – was the Minister passing a vote of no confidence? We are therefore aghast that despite the Bill of innocence given to the Labour representatives, the Minister still went ahead to make the unfortunate statement to which he was alluded.
“ULC does not want to be drawn unnecessarily into the politics of the NSITF as we want to distance ourselves from its activities as it concerns the Board appointment shenanigans. We would not want however to be tarred together with whatsoever individuals that may have been found culpable by the different investigations. All we demand is that the Funds which belong to Nigerian workers must not be mismanaged by any individual or group. Anybody that may have been found to have been involved in any alleged missing funds must be brought before the relevant institutions for appropriate sanctions and full recovery. No politics with our money!
“We believe that the credibility of not just the Ministry of Labour but the federal Government will be in jeopardy if it is found to be a harbinger of half-truths and outright falsehood to Nigerians. If this is how the operations of the Ministry are conducted then, as representatives of workers, we are left seriously concerned.
“ULC urges painstakingness on the side of the Ministry of Labour in the conduct of their affairs and in handling relationship with other strategic partners. Playing to the gallery with serious issues of corruption is unacceptable to Nigerian workers and masses. Let the Minister retrace his steps by telling Nigerians the truth”.
