Secretary to Rivers State Government, Tammy Danagogo, has charged corporate entities operating in the state to tap into the benefits of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSIF) scheme to prevent issues of employees’ abandonment in the advent of work-related accidents.
Speaking during an advocacy visit by the management of the NSITF in Port Harcourt, Danagogo said, the NSITF as the only government institution backed by law to cater for employee’s welfare in the event of work-related accidents or injuries is a necessary institution that corporate organizations should be beneficiary of.
He said: “This is a laudable scheme that our people should tap into. I am of the view that, anything that can be done for the good of our people, we should put every effort to achieve it. In government, workers are on the first line of beneficiary in work-related schemes
“The challenges of immediate compensation for dedicated workers on the eventuality of accidents or death is an issue we must all look into.
“As a leader, I am morally burdened to help immediate family of staff who die or is injured even when there is no dedicated fund for such.
The system ought to have an inbuilt mechanism to handle issues of emergency funds for death or accidents. Since these are inevitable events of life.
“Be rest assured that we will put in our effort to enable our people benefit having better understood the objectives of the NSITF.”
The Regional Manager of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, Geofry Otokito, thanked the SSG and intimated that prior to the foundation of the scheme, many Nigerians employed with international corporations were abandoned after an accident.
He noted: “Presently, NSITF is taking up the challenges of many Nigerians who had accidents on the line of duty to ensure they are duly compensated.
Death benefits are also being rendered to immediate family members of those who registered with us.” The NSITF, as the only recognized institution in the country to cater for employees welfare in the event of work-related accidents and injuries and is based on 1 percent of payroll of employers remitted to the fund.
