NSITF denies rumoured demotion of employees

The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has denied there are plans to embark on massive demotion of members of staff in the organisation. 

Rumours emerged last week that the management is planning to slash salaries of some staff while demoting others. 

In a statement, the management said the misinformation was deliberately churned out to incite and mislead members of staff, the Association of Senior Staff of Banks and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) and the general public.

It explained that the falsehood emanated from a congress of the NSITF staff union that was recently conducted, though without due process, but which went ahead to deliberate on the observations made by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) in the identified existing system of grading/progression in the Fund.

The management explained that the issue remains a policy matter for the management and board of NSITF, the supervising ministry, and NSIWC and that it was being addressed appropriately.

It, therefore, pointed out that circulating any such inciting and false information is tantamount to sabotaging the work of repositioning the Fund for greater achievements and urged the public to disregard such.

The statement read in part: “Management refers to the recent write-ups and publications in the Social media spaces alluding to a protest in the NSITF wherein a concoction of lies and falsehood were fed to the unsuspecting and gullible readership, including staff of NSITF by the leadership of the ASSBIFI, NSITF Unit.

“Ideally, Management would have ignored these acts but as responsible leadership, Management deemed it very necessary to correct these false and incorrect allusions, which are viewed as acts of sabotage against the efforts of the new management at repositioning the Fund for greater achievements, These assertions are capable of and intended to incite staff against the Fund. Management, therefore, states that nothing can be further from the truth.” 

It hinted that how could management that within a short period in the saddle of the affairs of the Fund, when, without prompting by the ASSBIFI, NSITF Unit or any other body, ensured the payment of a long-overdue furniture grant to staff, ensured the payment of education grant, ensured the regular payments of staff OPEs, ensured the consistent payment of branches and regions MSAs, consistently and timely paid staff salaries and allowances, and are attending to many other staff-related matter be said to be insensitive to staff welfare by contemplating staff demotion. 

The management fumed against the action of the leadership of ASSBIFI NSITF Unit of publishing an official matter in whatever form without authorisation.

“The management assured all stakeholders that it will continue to uphold its mandate as empowered by the NSITF Act 1993 and Employees Compensation Act 2010 in its day to day activities while ensuring sustainable industrial peace and harmony within our beloved Fund,” it stated.