Ovie Kokori with Austin Enajemo-Isere as Chairman of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, Board was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari This came as the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in a protest, disrupted the inauguration of the new NSITF boss fixed for yesterday. The minister also said that the cancellation of the inauguration was due to security breach occasioned by the alleged siege to the Conference Room of the minister of Labour and Employment, venue of the inauguration by alleged thugs imported by a labour leader. The board of the NSITF was slated for inauguration yesterday at 11 am, but the exercise could not hold as the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, led by Ayuba Wabba mobilised its members to protest the removal of Kokori as Chairman of the board. However, a one-paragraph statement by Rhoda Illiya, Head of Press on behalf of the Minister of Labour, stated that the inauguration was put off due to circumstances beyond their control. It reads: “Due to circumstances beyond our control, the inauguration of the Board NSITF billed for today (yesterday) has been cancelled. The inconveniences caused by this cancellation are most painful and regretted.” In another statement, the ministry explained that the invasion of the inauguration venue by suspected thugs allegedly hired by labour leaders manhandled some officers of the ministry and police officers attached to the office of the minister. The statement warned that the government will not tolerate a situation where labour leaders challenge or vitiate the constitutional powers of the President over appointments. Speaking at the venue of the botched inauguration, Chief Kokori said, “Today (yesterday), I am very emotional and want to cry. I want to weep for this country. I am proud of you, my comrades. I have done my best for this country. When nobody raised his or her voice against the military, I did. “I came out against the military to fight for freedom and democracy of Nigeria. I spent four good years in one of the worst prisons in the world, in Bama prison and in solitary confinement. In 1997, I was declared a prisoner of war by Pope John Paul. The same year, the Madiba, Nelson Mandela also declared me a notable world prisoner of conscience. “I stood for this country and in all my years of service, there were temptations to take some of the biggest bribes. “I stood my ground for democracy and 20 years into the same democracy, Kokori is being oppressed by somebody like Ngige. What is the reason? The reason is that Frank Kokori is regarded as a man of integrity, a man of honour and a transparent Nigerian.” “This is a government that talks of integrity and you allowed a man like Ngige to humiliate me for two years after my appointment. On Wednesday, they now said I should go to Micheal Imoudu. If they had given me Micheal Imoudu when I retired from NUPENG, I should have accepted. “Why should I subject myself to trauma for two years and you promised that the appointment remains and congratulated me for more than five times. The President assured me during the last June 12 exercise that they will not do anything to my appointment. “ Also speaking, NLC President, Wabba said, “It is our money, social security money and people wants to sit on it. This is just the beginning and any child that says his mother should not sleep, will not sleep. We are already on the ground and therefore not afraid of falling.”
