Cross Udo, Abuja
The management of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has said its financial transactions are open and that the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC are free to investigate them if they feel that there is any form of allegation against the Fund,

This came on the heels of the alleged request of some unidentified staff of the Fund calling for the probe of the organization by the anti-graft agencies over the recent report by the ICPC that stated that about 52 agencies of government including NSITF were identified as high corruption risks.

A statement by the General Manager/Head of Corporate Affairs of NSITF, Ijeoma Oji-Okoronkwo, said the allegation of corruption against the organization was taken out of context to suit a negative purpose, describing it unfounded and an attempt to distract the management from its commitments to carry out its mandates.

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The statement further noted that the fund will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that its operations are conducted with the highest level of integrity and transparency.

It added, “As of date we have fully paid adequate monetary compensations to workers who suffer workplace or any other type of accidents in the course of work. Organizations with such workplace patients have had such medical bills paid or reimbursed appropriately by NSITF and victims given Prostheses where necessary by our claims and Compensation Department in consonance with the Employees Compensation Act (ECA) 2010 which is our operational Law.

“Same goes for our family welfare package for the Family defendants if the accident results in the death of the Employee- the family breadwinner all organizations that are up to date in their contributions can attest to these facts.”

The statement with the title: Alleged high corruption risks: NSITF calls for system study, commits to transparency and accountability, read, “Our attention is drawn to the purported call by some staff of the Fund allegedly requesting an immediate probe of the agency by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) as well as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

“This call is based on a breakdown of the ICPC info graph showing that 52 agencies which include NSITF, National Broadcasting Commission, Federal Civil Service Commission, Court of Appeal, National Hospital, and several other Government agencies, were identified as non-responsive implying that these agencies did not respond to inquiries on them. The ICPC consequently marked them as “High Corruption Risk HCR” and was flagged for the attention of the public and further inquiries and actions.

“The allegation of corruption against the Fund which was taken out of context to suit a negative purpose is therefore unfounded and an attempt to distract the management from its commitments to carry out its mandates.

“Although NSITF in the past has had to deal with several negative presses attributed to the past Board and some members of management of the Fund, the new Board put up 2019 and the new management under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and the supervision of the Minster for Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige have been piloting the affairs of the Fund in line with all relevant laws, regulations, and guidelines.”