Less than one year after the appointment of the new Managing Director of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Dr Michael Akabogu, crisis has reportedly erupted between him (Akabogu) and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige (his godfather).
The crisis bordered on the planned employment of 2,000 new staff members and 43 top management staff members of the organisation from the rank of Assistant General Managers.
The NSTF Managing Director, Akabogu, who was an aide to the Minister for over two decades from his days as Governor of Anambra state and Senator in the 8th National Assembly, was absorbed specially into NSITF on the Minister’s instructions through the creation of a special department that did not exist in the agency before now.
The age-long ally of the Minister was transformed to the Managing Director after the sacking of the previous leadership and removal of the most senior officer through deliberate indictments on the Minster’s brief.
The planned recruitment wholly from the south east, among many other requests that bordered on funds, is being resisted by Akabogu on the grounds of lean resources of the agency.
Staff members of the agency had protested to the management on several payments that included pension and allowances, but the ministry insisted on recruitment of more hands as parting gift from the Minister, according to sources.
Ngige is alleged to be carrying out a series of recruitment in the agency without carrying along the permanent secretary or the the junior Minister, Festus Keyamo.
He called their bluff after the last recruitment when the National Assembly summoned him to shed more lights on the illegal lopsided exercise, carried out by the Minister with his kinsmen dominating the management cadre.
The federal character commission, office of the head of service had frowned at the illegal and lopsided recruitment exercise being carried out by agencies without the consent of relevant bodies.
The supremacy battle reportedly degenerated with the Minister using his walking stick, allegedly, to hit the head of Akabogu thrice, saying he was ungrateful, a source said .
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