President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the sacking of the top management staff of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), reconstituting the board.
This was revealed in a statement signed by spokesperson of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Charles Akpan.
The NSITF Managing Director and Chief Executive, Bayo Somefun, and the Executive Directors in charge of Finance, Jasper Azuatalam; Investment, Operations, and Administration, Tijani Sulaiman and Human Resources, Olukemi Nelson, were relieved of their positions with effect from July 1, 2020.
Also relieved of their appointments were the nine top Management Officers on suspension with the MD and EDs who had their appointments terminated compulsorily with some to be retired after demotion in ranks from their present Ranks as recommended by the Panel.
The reconstitution of the board followed the approval of the recommendations in the Report of the Presidential Joint Board and Audit Investigation Panel set up by the President in July 2020 to investigate the infractions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, and the Financial Regulations (FR) in the NSITF.
Consequently, Dr Michael Akabogu has been appointed as the new Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Agency.
Others appointed are Mrs Akinwale Caroline Temitope, Executive Director, Finance and Investment, Mrs. Alagoa Maurine, Executive Director, Administration and Mr Gana Modu, Executive Director, Operations.
Mrs Lauretta Adogu and Alhaji Najeem Yasin were appointed as nominal directors on the Board.
The other nine top Management staff whose appointments were terminated for various infractions and who have also benefitted from the excess remuneration are to refund such overpayments to the Panel.
The President equally directed a “total overhaul” of the Procurement Department of the NSITF with a new team of Procurement Officers be trained from the pool of existing staff and deployed to the Department.
All officers indicted are to receive the appropriate official sanction by the Board.
The Honourable Minister of the supervising Ministry via the Management Board is to take all appropriate actions as the need arises to revitalise and reposition the Organisation to fulfil their mandates in accordance with the Enabling Act.
This will include restructuring and streamlining the activities of the Organisation to attain the overall goal envisaged in setting up the organisation.
