By Moses John
Abuja
Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Umar Munir Abubakar, has told the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that the Employees Compensation Scheme (ECA) is the right of every employee, urging the Corporation to register its employees in the scheme.
Abubakar who made the call at the weekend during an advocacy visit to the headquarters of the Corporation in Abuja, said the Act empowers the Fund to use legal actions against non- compliance employers.
The NSITF boss further disclosed that the Employees Compensation Act 2010 was a deliberate scheme by the Federal Government for the welfare of employees.
He said NNPC as a major government establishment will serve as a vehicle to drive its subsidiaries as well as other government and private institutions to key into the scheme.
According to him, that would be in addition to the numerous laudable insurance schemes that employees in the sector enjoy.
The NSITF managing director said he decided to visit the corporation again to see how the matter can be resolve peacefully instead of resulting to legal action.
He also said while the fund is aware of the welfare packages the NNPC already has in place for its employees, but enrolling in the scheme is in-line with Federal Government order on social benefit for its citizens.
While encouraging the NNPC to create a forum of enlightenment for its employees and put every resource together to bring their interest to the scheme to reality, Umar Munir added that his expectations are that the Corporation will not waste any more time to comply with the law.
Responding, the group general Manager Human Resource of NNPC, Adekemi Akintoye, said the Corporation is aware of the benefits of the scheme and also the various legal implications of noncompliance, adding that the corporation had already accepted the scheme as a first line charge.
The meeting, however, agreed that a joint committee be set up with members from each side to forge a way forward.
