NSITF defers sanction of employers for non-compliance with compensation scheme

THE decision of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), not to sanction employers for not complying with the provisions of the Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS), is to give more time for all the stakeholders to understand the implementation processes.

The Managing Director of the Fund, Mr Adebayo Somefun, who disclosed this in Abuja, while the 2018 Buisnessday Public Service award, explained that the Fund is more interested in the growth of the scheme and not prioritising punishment of defaulters.

Somefun insisted that the sanction would eventually be meted to defaulters, saying the Fund is presently adopting the stick and carrot approach.

He said: “We are not relying on the legal aspect to get employers to comply with the ECS yet. We are at this moment concentrating on selling the inherent benefits of the scheme. Eventually, there will be sanction for defaulting. But we are not going into that right now because the scheme is still young. We need to keep talking, persuading and enlightening all our critical stakeholders.”

Somefun explained that the employers that are not participating in the scheme are not only depriving their employees the benefits of compensation when injured, but are denying themselves the opportunity of getting paid for loss of productivity when their workers are injured, and in no position to execute their tasks optimally.