The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has called on the Ondo State Government to enlist its workforce in the Employees’ Compensation Scheme.
NSITF’s Regional Manager, Mrs Toyin Emeordi made the call when she paid a courtesy visit to Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, on Monday, in Akure.
Emeordi noted that her team was in the state to enlist the support of the governor in ensuring that the state’s workforce was enlisted in the employees’ compensation scheme.
She said that the state government and NSITF could partner to ensure that effective social welfare services were rendered to the state through the scheme, which she explained had become imperative because of the attendant occupational hazards associated with service delivery processes by the workers.
“Your Excellency, we have come to enlist your support in ensuring all the Ondo State workforce is brought under the Employees’ Compensation Scheme. Two states namely Bauchi and Taraba have registered with NSITF.
“You lead and others follow and we believe that you can put Ondo State and her entire workforce on the map of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme; even amongst the States in the South West of Nigeria.
“And also prevail on your brother Governors to have a good understanding of the Scheme and ensure all their workforces, who labour daily to ensure the smooth running of the state, are covered in terms of any injury, accident, occupational disease and/or death that may arise in the course of their work.
“The scheme can also be made a prerequisite for any individual or organisation, who may want to do business with the state government, or any other business within the state,” he said.
Responding, Gov. Akeredolu said his administration believed in any programme that would provide social welfare packages for the benefit of the people in the state.
Represented by his Deputy, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the governor thanked the team for the visit, stressing that the social welfare of workers in Ondo state remained a high priority of his administration.
Aiyedatiwa encouraged both public and private sectors in the state to be part of the scheme.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that copies of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund Act were presented to the governor by the team. (NAN)