The labour minister and NSITF Managing Director have been summoned by House committee on public petitions
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has summoned the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi, over his failure to constitute the board of the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
The summons follows a petition by Obasi-Pherson Help Foundation, a non-governmental organization (NGO), which expressed concerns that while President Bola Tinubu had appointed a Managing Director for the Fund, the board was yet to be inaugurated several months later.
In its petition, the NGO described the prolonged absence of a governing board as a “huge aberration”, warning that it was creating room for widespread illegalities in the management of the Fund’s affairs.
Responding to the concerns, the Chairman of the Public Petitions Committee, Rep. Mike Etaba, stressed the need for the minister to personally appear before the committee.
“The government is being indicted, so it is only logical that the minister clears the air on the matter,” Etaba stated.
NSITF Managing Director also Summoned
In a related development, the committee has also invited the Managing Director of NSITF, Faleye Mayomi, to respond to a separate petition alleging violations in the agency’s project clearance regulations.
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The petition, filed by the Advancement of Social Justice and Economic Development Initiative (ASJEDI), calls for an explanation regarding certain actions taken by the agency, which the petitioners claim contradict its mandate.
Etaba emphasized that the committee’s role is to ensure transparency and accountability.
“Ours is to serve Nigerians efficiently and ensure the right thing is done, always. Inviting the CEO is for him to throw more light on the issues at hand,” he explained.
