Says scheme encourage productivity
The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has disclosed that about seven million employees and 33,900 employers have joined the Employees Compensation Scheme.
The Managing director of the Fund, Umar Munir Abubakar said this in Port Harcourt recently at the NSITF and Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) Safe Workplace Intervention Project (SWIP).
Munir added that the increase in enrolment by both employers and employees was due to the fact they now see the Scheme as encouraging productivity and guaranteed safety of workers.
“There are about 33,900 employers that are participating in the Scheme. There are also about seven million employees now on the Scheme. The increment of employers on the Scheme is influenced by the fact that now they see the Scheme as a move by government to promote safety in the workplace and a step to show concrete commitment to ensure that injured workers are not only treated but are rehabilitated. In case of death, NSITF pays the survivors of the deceased worker.
This Scheme does not only ensure the safety of workers but also promote efficiency and enhance productivity because workers now know that they can work without inhibition because they would be looked after in even of injury or death. Any employer that fails to enroll its workers on the Scheme shows such employer does not care for its workers.”
He however said with the current number of enrollees, the Fund will start prosecuting employers that have not enrolled their staff on the scheme.
“The legal department of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has been given marching order to prosecute every non-compliant employer. The Fund will soon drag these recalcitrant employers to court for prosecution.
We will ensure that every employers that have not will now pay from July 2011 to date because this payment is a product of the law and those who flout the law must be made to face the full wrath of the law. We have given enough grace to employers; we have cajoled them and explained why their employees must be covered under the Employees Compensation Scheme Act.”
According to him, Fund has been talking to state governments on the need to enroll their employees, stressing that any state that does not comply will also be dragged to court.
While commending the Federal Government for exemplary role play, he further said it has continued by consistently paying for its employees on the Scheme.
“The Federal Government showed a perfect example for the state government. The Fund is also very happy with some state governments that have started enrolling their workers on the scheme. I must add here that we are not threatening the state governments with court action. That is not the intention at all. Even as at now, we are still talking and explaining to state governors on why they should enroll their worker and the responses have been encouraging,” he said.
Munir also said the Fund is working on the revival of centres located in Lagos and Enugu where artificial body parts such as fingers, arm and others could be manufactured in the country.
“Our intention is to run these centres for about six months before implementing others. Our intention is to establish each centre in the six-geopolitical zones of the country. This is a provision that is contained in the Employees Compensation Act.”
The Director General of NECA, Segun Oshinowo, on his part, called for the involvement of the Ministry of Labour and Employment in the audit process of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) standards in workplace premises.
“By involving the ministry of labour and employment, we are going to cover a larger terrain which will require more funds. Beyond the fund that we will require, it is going to put every enterprise and employer on their toes to make sure there is no longer a hiding place as far as compliance with Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) standards is concerned. The challenges that our consultants had gaining access to companies will not be an issue with the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The Ministry complained over time that it does not have the resources to discharge its statutory responsibilities will no longer be an issue now since the project would be adequately funded.”