Organised labour, led by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Festus Osifo, has staged a shutdown of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) headquarters in Abuja.
The protest, which occurred on Friday, was in response to allegations of non-remittance of N2.1 billion in consequential taxes deducted from workers’ salaries.
Accompanied by executive members of the Association of Banks, Insurance, and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFE), the workers took to the streets, wielding placards and chanting solidarity songs to demand justice for the alleged financial irregularities.
The demonstrators specifically called for the immediate removal of the NSITF Managing Director, Maureen Alagoa, and urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene in resolving the crisis within the Fund.
Expressing their grievances, Osifo highlighted the failed attempts by ASSBIFE leadership to address the issue with NSITF management, necessitating the protest and subsequent shutdown of the Fund’s headquarters.
The workers also appealed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to launch an investigation into their claims and scrutinize the activities of the NSITF leadership.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the MD/CEO of NSITF nor its spokesperson, Godson Nwachukwu, have issued a response to the allegations, leaving the situation unresolved and escalating tensions between the NSITF management and organised labour.
In a related development, there has been a shake-up in the EFCC, with Chair Ola Olukoyede appointing Michael Nzekwe as his Chief of Staff and restructuring all zonal commands of the commission into departments.
Additionally, Olukoyede appointed 14 new directors as part of efforts to reorganize the commission’s operations.
