Fifteen years after the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA) was signed into law, the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has presented its first compensation cheques to beneficiaries from treasury funded Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), paying a total of N31.72 million to five families.
The presentation, held on Tuesday in Abuja, marks the first direct compensation payment to federal civil servants and their families under the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS) since the Act came into effect in 2010.
Managing Director and Chief Executive of NSITF, Mr. Oluwaseun Faleye, described the payment as the fulfilment of the Fund’s statutory responsibility.
“We are not here for a ceremony. We are here to keep a promise,” Faleye said.
He noted that although the Employees’ Compensation Act guarantees compensation for workers who suffer work related injuries, occupational diseases or death in the course of duty, federal civil servants had not benefited from the scheme until now.
Faleye said the breakthrough followed the onboarding of federal workers into the Employees’ Compensation Scheme and the establishment of the ECS Help Desk at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation earlier this year.
He commended the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson Jack, for driving compliance across the public service.
Addressing the beneficiaries, Faleye said no amount of money could replace loved ones lost in the line of duty but added that the compensation reflects government’s recognition of their sacrifice.
He also urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies yet to enrol under the scheme to do so, stressing that workers should not be left without protection against workplace risks.
The beneficiaries are Jae Grace Danture of the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation, who received N3.82 million, Uzochukwu Aguomba of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, N10.40 million, Olofu Pius Agri of the University of Abuja, N3.17 million, Patience Oyekunle Nwankwo of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, N2.45 million, and Audu Sanda Eyum of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), N11.88 million.
In her remarks, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson Jack, described the presentation as evidence that the Federal Government was delivering on its commitment to workers’ welfare.
She said the cheques were lawful entitlements under the Employees’ Compensation Act and not acts of charity, adding that the scheme provides financial compensation, medical care, rehabilitation, counselling and support for dependants of workers who die in the course of duty.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr. Kamil Ayinde Shoretire, said the Employees’ Compensation Scheme reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to workplace safety and workers’ welfare.
NSITF Executive Director (Finance), Mr. Samuel Olufemi Ayodele, said the presentation shows the Fund is delivering on its mandate to provide social protection for Nigerian workers.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Sandra Audu of PTAD thanked the management and staff of NSITF for the professionalism displayed throughout the verification process, noting that officials visited her at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital when she was unable to travel due to her condition.
She said the seamless process gave her confidence in the scheme and expressed appreciation to everyone involved.
