NSITF mobilizes employees, employers for safe, healthy working environment in Nnewi

From Isaac Ojo

The Nnewi branch office of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) in Anambra State on Friday, witnessed beehives of activities as employers and employees were mobilized on the need to embrace a safe and healthy working environment.

The mobilization was part of the program put together by the Nnewi branch of NSITF to mark the World Day For Safety and Health At Work, with the theme “A safe and working working environment, a fundamental right.”

Mrs Ifenyinwa Onyinye Okereke, Assistant General Manager(AGM) of NSITF and Nnewi Branch Manager in her address pointed out that April 28 of every year is set aside by NSITF in partnership with International Labour Organisation(ILO) for safety at work mobilization.

She said that NSITF normally use the occasion to sensitize employers of labour and employees to take the safety and wellbeing of workers seriously.

Mrs Okereke who said that the staffers of NSITF have been going round factories and companies in the industrial town of Nnewi on monthly basis to sensitize them on the importance of the keeping a safe working environment said that the activities for the day was intended to galvanize the area for safety.

The Nnewi branch manager of NSITF pointed out with relish that a whole lot of grounds have been gained in the mobilization of employers and their members of staff on the importance of safety at work environments.

“For the employers, we provide the following services to them; safe and healthy workforce, reduced accident costs, reduced absenteeism and presenteeism due to workplace incidents, reduced turnover, retention of quality employee, increased productivity and lost productivity payments while the employees are offered guaranteed security, improved staff welfare, increased job satisfaction, increased employee morale, rehabilitation and return to work of injured employees.

“We have visited many industries, factories and companies to sensitize them on the issue of safety at workplaces, we have of course recorded huge success in that regard. The awareness is high now due to our intervention. The employers have been educated on the need to pay one percent of their workers’ salaries to the national employees compensation fund so that they can benefit from the fund in case of accidents.

“Initially, workers were apprehensive about the funds because they thought the deduction would be made from their salaries but when we convinced them that the one percent contribution to national safety compensation fund is social responsibility of the employers, they warmed up to us. I am glad to inform you that many worker who were involved in one accident or the other have benefitted from fund.” She revealed.

NSITF as part of the day’s activities took their campaign on safety to the major streets of Nnewi where educational materials on safety were freely distributed to the people. The road show featured Mr Francis Okeke (AGM) Mrs Ngozi Obi-Chukwuma and other staffers of the Fund.