Speaker of the House of Representative, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has asked public agencies to comply fully with public finance management reforms, saying allegation of non remittance of employees contribution to NSITF by the three tiers of government for 17 years is unacceptable.
This is just as he noted that Nigerian workers are the resource base of Nigeria’s economy and must be treated and cared for humanely and in conformity with international best practices.
The Speaker said this while declaring an investigative hearing on alleged non-remittance of employees contributions by the federal government, state governments and local governments to the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) open at the National Assembly.
Saying the public sector ought to lead by example by remitting funds when and as how due, he emphasised that the present administration is committed to its public sector reforms, especially in the area of public finance management.
Dogara said, “It must be stated that the present administration is fully committed to the Public Sector Reforms, including the sphere of Public Finance Management to which series of Policy and legislative interventions have been instituted. These reform measures have been on since the year 2000 and it should not be heard of that public agencies would act in a manner contrary to the spirit of the reforms. The least expectation is that government will lead by example.”
The one-day investigative hearing was organised by the ad-hoc Committee Investigating Non-remittance of Employees Contributions to the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) by Federal, State and Local governments from 2010 to date.
He explained that the constitutional basis for the enactment of both the NSITF and ECA Acts was in recognition of the importance of workers in Nigeria who are the resource basis of Nigeria’s economy and as such, must be treated and cared for humanely and in conformity also with international best practices.
“Under the provisions of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund Act, 2012, more specifically in Sections 10, 11 and 13 all employers classified therein are mandated to remit all contributions in respect of their employees to the Board of the Trust Fund on a monthly basis failing which they will be liable to sanctions in line with the stipulations in Section 14 of the Act.
“It is in consideration of these express provisions of the Act that the allegation of non remittance by the three tiers of government for over a period of 17 years was received with disbelief warranting the present investigation.”
