NSITF pays N23 million compensation to boat mishap victim’s family, injured worker
By Ukpono Ukpong
The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has disbursed a total of N23 million in compensation to two beneficiaries, including the family of a worker who died in a tragic boat mishap while commuting to work.
Another beneficiary, an employee recovering from a work-related injury, also received financial support under the Fund’s Employee Compensation Scheme, which provides relief to workers or their dependants affected by workplace incidents.
At a brief ceremony held in Lagos, the Managing Director of NSITF, Barrister Olúwaṣeun Faleye, presented a cheque of N15,494,888.25 to the widow of the deceased employee of MEDPLUS, who lost his life while on his way to work. Another cheque of N7,801,045 was handed over to an employee of Alexander Marius Investment as a refund for medical expenses incurred due to workplace injury.
Faleye said the gesture demonstrates the Fund’s unwavering commitment to cushioning the impact of workplace accidents and fatalities under the Employee Compensation Scheme, which guarantees support for workers or their dependants when tragedy strikes in the line of duty.
Presenting the cheque to the widow, Barrister Faleye commiserated with her and the family of the deceased for the loss of their loved one.
He acknowledged that no amount of money can bring back the dead or fill the void created by death, and assured the bereaved of the continued support from NSITF.
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He stated, “the compensation is in fulfilment of our mandate under the Employee Compensation Act, which is to provide open, transparent and adequate compensation for all employees or their dependants when accidents, deaths, or injuries occur in the course of work.”
Barrister Faleye said further that the mandate of the NSITF was to “ensure that no one who is registered under the Employee Compensation Scheme is left behind when there’s a crisis or injury.”
Responding, the Head of Human Resource of MEDPLUS, Onojobi Tolulope, who represented the company’s Managing Director thanked NSITF for coming to the rescue of the dependants of the deceased colleague and promised to galvanise fellow Human Resource practitioners in other companies to enroll their workers in the Scheme.
Under the Employees’ Compensation Scheme, aside the lump sum given as death compensation, the Fund takes care of the the family of the deceased until the children have graduated from university or reached the age of 21, which ever comes first, as there is a monthly stipend due them for the duration.
The presentations of the cheques were witnessed by a representative of the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA).
