The inauguration of the board of the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has been postponed indefinitely.
The inauguration was scheduled to hold by 10:30 a.m. on Thursday at the minister’s conference room at the Ministry of Labour.
At about 11:40 a.m, when guests were seated, the Director of Human Resources in the ministry, Ajibola Ibrahim, came in to announce that the inauguration has been postponed indefinitely.
“The minister has sent me to inform you that the inauguration has been postponed indefinitely,” he said.
“He asked me to apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.
“As soon as a new date is fixed, it will be communicated,” he said.
Mr Ibrahim also said many of the members are “not present,” hence the postponement.
Members of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and other workers present protested the announcement. They said the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, is planning a secret inauguration.
They said all their members are present and vowed to be on standby until the minister shows up or announces a new date for the inauguration.
They also said any inauguration without the presence of Frank Kokori as the chairman, will be null and void and will also lead to mass protest.
The inauguration has always been surrounded by controversy. Although Mr Kokori was named as the chairman-designate by the presidency, the labour minister omitted his name when listing those to be inaugurated.
Mr Kokori, a former labour leader, said he would, however, attend the inauguration.
