By Valentine Amanze
President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria has approved the indefinite suspension of the Managing Director-Chief Executive of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Mr. Adebayo Somefun.
The president has also appointed the General Manager, Health, Safety and Environment Department, Dr. Kelly Nwagha, the acting managing director-chief executive of the agency.
The president also approved the suspension of four directors of the agency.
They are the Executive Director Finance and Investment, Mr. Jasper Ikedi Azuatalam; Executive Director, Operations Mrs. Olukemi Nelson and Executive Director, Administration, Alhaji Tijani Darazo Sulaiman.
The suspension was announced in a statement by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Charles Akpan, on Thursday in Abuja.
According to the statement, their suspension arose from the “preliminarily established prima facie infractions on the extant Financial Regulations and Procurement Act, and other acts of gross misconduct.”
The federal government, however, directed the suspended officers to face a Joint Board and Audit Investigative Panel set up to scrutinise the financial and procurement breaches, as well as gross misconduct in the NSITF for periods of 2016 to date.
Buhari also approved the suspension of eight management staff of the organisation.
They include Mr. Olusegun Olumide Bashorun, general manager, Administration/Human Resources/Maintenance; Mr. Lawan Tahir, general manager, Finance; Mr. Chris Esedebe, general manager, Claims and Compensation and Mr. Olodotun A. Adegbite, deputy general manager, Investment and Treasury Management.
Others are Mr. Emmanuel Enyinnaya Sike, Deputy General Manager, Finance and Accounts; Mrs. Olutoyin O. Arokoyo, Deputy General Manager/Acting Head, Legal; Ms. Dorathy Zajeme Tukura , Deputy General Manager, Administration and Mrs. Victoria Ayantuga, Assistant General Manager, Internal Audit.
The statement reads: “Their suspension from office arose from the preliminarily established prima facie infractions on the extant Financial Regulations and Procurement Act, and other acts of gross misconduct.
“During the period of their suspension, the suspended officers are to face a Joint Board and Audit Investigative Panel that has been set up to look into the financial and procurement breaches, as well as gross misconduct in the NSITF for periods of 2016 to date, which have invariably put the Contributions of stakeholders in a perilous state.
“The affected officers have also been directed to hand over to the most senior officers in their respective departments. The executive directors are therefore to hand over to the most senior general managers, while the managing director will hand over to the most senior officer in the fund.”
Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige approved three members of staff to replace the suspended directors in acting capacity.
They are Mrs. Temitope Akinwale, Regional General Manager in charge of the Ibadan Region to take charge as General Manager in charge of Finance and to concurrently oversee the Office of the Executive Director of Finance and Investment as the Acting Executive Director.
Others are Mrs. Maureen Allagoa, Regional General Manager in charge of Port Harcourt Region moves to NSITF Headquarters as General Manager in charge of Administration, Human Resources and Maintenance and to concurrently oversee the Office of the Executive Director of Administration as Acting Executive Directo; and Mr. Baba Ma’aji Kabir, General Manager of Administration and Maintenance has been deployed to Enforcement Department to concurrently oversee the Office of the Executive Director of Operations as the Acting Executive Director.
It added: “All the appointments are with effect from Monday, 6th July 2020 and will last until further notice.”
