The House of Representatives on Thursday resolved to constitute an ad hoc committee to investigate alleged non- remittance of trillions of naira to the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF.
The committee is to probe the alleged default of remittances by the Federal, States and Local Governments since 2010 till date.
This was sequel to a motion by Babatunde Kolawole (Ondo-APC).
Moving the motion, Mr Kolawole said the National Assembly passed the Employee Compensation Act in 2010 to provide an open and fair system of guaranteed and adequate compensation for all employees or their dependents.
He said the compensation was for any death, injury or disability arising from out of or in the course of employment, rehabilitation to employees with work- related disabilities.
“By Section 33 of the Act, every employer shall, within the first two years of the commencement of the Act, make a minimum monthly contribution of 1.0 per cent of the total monthly payroll into the fund.
“Subsequently, payment will be based on estimates of the employer.”
He said that the private sector had to a reasonable extent been complying with the provisions of the Act, ‘’particularly in view of Section 16(6)(d).
The Section he said, made it mandatory for bidders to have fulfilled all obligations to pay taxes, pensions and social security contribution.”
Mr Kolawole, however, noted that the Federal, States and local governments had failed to make payment of their contributions to the NSITF in spite the mandatory provisions of the Act.
“Failing, refusing or neglecting to pay the statutory contribution to the NSITF, government at all levels are not only violating a law of the land but also exposing the majority of the Nigerian workforce to uninsured and uncovered risks and occupational hazards,” he said.
He said that workers could not be compensated for injuries, mental stress, occupational diseases, hearing impairment, total, partial disability or disfigurement.
Mr Kolawole said if the anomaly was not addressed, civil and public servants will continue to be short changed.
He said that they would also remain at the receiving end of a system that exposed them to occupational hazards without any form of insurance or compensation.
The motion was unanimously adopted by members when it was put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara.
NAN
