Drama as NSITF GM, directors scale fence to evade arrest over Covid-19
Ukpono Ukpong, Abuja
A mild drama ensued yesterday at the New MM event center, located beside Nicon Luxury Hotel, Area 11, when members of FCT COVID-19 Enforcement Taskforce visited the venue for the promotion examination of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) staffers.
It followed a series of complaints from the staffers over alleged violations of Health Protection Regulations Act, 2021, recently signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to eyewitness, some top management staff of NSITF allegedly abandoned their cars and scaled perimeter fence, possibly to evade arrest by FCT COVID-19 Enforcement team.
NSITF had allegedly gathered no fewer than 1,200 staff for a promotion examination exercise without compliance to COVID-19 health safety protocols as issued by the Presidential Taskforce and rectified by the FCT Minister, as a measure to curb the spread of the virus.
Addressing Journalists after dispersing members of staff of the NSITF from the exams hall, the Head, Media and Enlightenment for taskforce, Mr Ikharo Attah, said his team visited the venue for the exercise, following series of complaints from staff of NSITF, who cried that their lives were threatened due to the crowd that besiege the exams venue as well as the non-compliance with COVID-19 health protocols.
Speaking further, Attah disclosed that an invitation was extended to the NSITF Regional Manager, Mr Tesh Kibikiwa, who coordinated the exams for further explanation, just as the NSITF labour leaders resisted arrest of the offending officers.
He explained that the offenders took advantage of the rowdy situation to jump through the fence and escaped.
He however, confirmed that while the NSITF Regional Manager and other top directors escaped arrest, one person was eventually arrested.
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Attah expressed disappointment that a frontline agency of government, like NSITF failed to lead by example, just as he vowed that all the fleeing directors and others who violated the Presidential directive shall be brought to book.
“We received several calls from the staff of the NSITF, in the passed three days that they have been call in for promotion examination and from what they understand and the number of people coming they are into some thousands.
“And they will not be able to manage overcrowdedness and so we should ask the management of the organisation to postpone the examination.
“We on our own we were a little bit more careful knowingfully that the organisation is a respected government agency and they should do what is needful.
“So this morning we received so much complains again and our Chairman, the FCT Commissioner of Police Bala Ciroma also got several complains.
“Some persons came to the Eagle Square where we were sitting to come and lodge some complains with so many pictures and videos of overcrowdedness.
“Luckly as we arrived at the centre of the examination we saw the massive crowd and asked the most senior person coordinating the exams, which claimed that they have permission from the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
“We demanded for evidence and he couldn’t provide it, so we asked them to please disperse and go home but that the most senior person, Mr Tesh Kibikiwa, General Manager, Health, Safety and Environment, should come with us and make further explanation.
“But to our shock while the entire staff agreed and their very cheerful that the taskforce serve them from contracting COVID-19 due to overcrowdedness, some of the labour union members insisted that we can’t go with him.
“Initially, he pleaded with us that he want to use his car to follow us on health ground which we granted him but the labour union prevented him from following us.
“We waited at the gate for almost two hours, we couldn’t see him and we went round everywhere we couldn’t find him and we were shock that the man and one other Director jumped through the fence and ran away to escape arrest.”
Attah said that the taskforce toured one of the official vehicle of the organisation, adding the taskforce also removed the number plate of the other vehicle that they couldn’t tour it and left the vehicle at the event or exam centre.
He said that the owners of the event center would be invited to make explanation why an event of this magnitude would hold without adhering to the COVID-19 safety protocols.
