Social Security Bill: Coalition Acuuses Agency Of Sponsoring Civil Groups

A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) under the aegis of the Centre for Civil Relations, Open Dialogue and Development (CCODED), which participated in the recent public hearing on the National Social Security Trust Fund (NSSTF) Bill organised by the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity, has raised serious concerns over what it described as “disturbing developments surrounding the legislative process.”

On behalf of the coalition, Amb Austin Inaede, executive director of CCODED, stated yesterday in Abuja that the group had received reports that the management of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) allegedly hired and sponsored certain civil society groups to speak in support of its position at the hearing.

According to him, this alleged sponsorship was a calculated attempt to weaken and “strangulate” the statutory role of the Governing Board while granting the management undue freedom to operate without proper oversight.

He warned that such actions suggest “a dangerous agenda” aimed at providing the management with unchecked authority, raising fears of possible mismanagement or diversion of the Fund’s resources, issues that have been associated with past leadership of the NSITF.

Another primary concern raised by the coalition is the proposed removal of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from the Governing Board of the NSSTF.

The group described this move as a disturbing red flag that deepens suspicion of an orchestrated plan to compromise transparency and accountability in the management of the Fund.

“Taking SEC out of the Governing Board is not only illogical but amounts to an open confirmation of the organisation’s plan to mismanage the Fund. SEC plays a critical regulatory role, and removing them at a time when Nigeria is struggling with limited financial resources raises serious concerns about the intentions behind the bill.” It said,

The coalition reiterated its alignment with the positions already taken by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), both of which have publicly demanded that the bill be stepped down due to the sensitive issues surrounding it.

Inaede further noted that if the National Assembly does not urgently address these red flags, the coalition would have no option but to embark on a massive, peaceful protest to defend the integrity of Nigeria’s social security system.

He stressed that the future of the Fund, the trust of Nigerian workers, and the credibility of social protection institutions must not be jeopardised by actions that appear to prioritise personal or organisational interests over the national good.