FG Writes To All States To Comply With Provision of ECA

 The Federal Government has written all the 36 states of the federation to comply with the provision of the Employee Compensation Act.

The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, who represented the President at the inauguration of the Lagos corporate office of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund on Friday, disclosed this.

Wogu said, “I have written and specially signed letters... to 36 states of the federation on full compliance with the ECA. This compliance will also apply to Lagos state.”

The minister said that now that the board of the fund had been inaugurated, the stage was set for the full implementation of the Act nationwide.

According to him, the implementation will not only complement similar social protection schemes of the transformation agenda of the President, but will also improve and promote social equity and sustainable growth of human development index, necessary to stimulate more employment in all sectors of the economy.

He pointed that in the ministry, the principle of social protection had already been ingrained as part of fundamental human rights in line with Article 25 of the UDHR.

According to him, the article says, “Everyone has a right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well- being of himself and his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care, and necessary social services and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age, or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.”

Wogu said that this administration aimed at a zero tolerance on workplace accidents, injuries and fatalities, and was determined to collaborate with all social partners and other stakeholders to guarantee a cleaner, safer and healthier work environment for all Nigerian workers.

In view of this, he added that the ministry was strengthening its internal units and deepening its intelligence network to ensure that workplace rights of Nigerian workers were not violated or exploited.

The Chairperson, NSITF, Mrs. Ngozi Olejeme, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for introducing the scheme.

She said, “Mr. President did not waste time in accenting to the Employee Compensation Scheme law soon after its passage by the National Assembly. Mr. President needs to be praised further for approving a take-off grant that will enable NSITF implement the scheme and for directing that the grant be immediately released .”

According to her, the scheme is a silent revolution that is carefully thought out and executed by the Federal Government in order to ensure that the welfare of Nigerian workers is given top priority in the scheme of things.