The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has inaugurated its Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) and appointed regional and branch champions to strengthen accountability and promote ethical conduct across its offices.
Managing Director and Chief Executive, Oluwaseun Faleye, said the initiative was part of a renewed commitment to protecting public resources, improving internal controls and building public trust in the Fund.
He spoke in Abuja during the inauguration of the unit and its regional and branch champions, attended by officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Faleye described the inauguration as more than a formal exercise, saying the real test would be whether the unit could help make integrity and accountability part of the Fund’s everyday operations.
“For us at NSITF, today’s inauguration is much more than a formal exercise. It is really a renewed commitment to the kind of institution we want NSITF to be. One where integrity guides our conduct, accountability defines our actions, and public trust remains central,” he said.
He also sought to reassure staff who might fear that the unit was established to witch-hunt them, explaining that its role was to help prevent wrongdoing and guide employees towards proper procedures.
“There is really no cause for concern. It is not a witch-hunt, it is not an investigative or interrogative process. It is rather a collaborative process that guides us from making mistakes we will regret down the line,” Faleye said.
He urged ACTU members to build trust with their colleagues and create an environment where staff could freely share information, raise concerns and report suspected wrongdoing when necessary.
Faleye said the appointment of regional and branch champions was particularly important because much of the Fund’s work takes place outside its headquarters. Extending the initiative to those offices, he added, would help ensure that the responsibility for preventing corruption reached every level of the organisation.
He stressed that the task could not be left to ACTU members alone, noting that every employee had a duty to follow established procedures, protect public resources and act in the Fund’s best interest.
“Every staff member has a duty to uphold established procedures, protect public resources and act in the best interest of the institution,” he said.
The managing director charged the newly inaugurated members to carry out their duties with integrity, objectivity, courage and professionalism, adding that the unit’s credibility would depend on the impact of its work rather than its existence on paper.
He also assured staff that management would continue to strengthen internal controls, encourage ethical behaviour and lead by example.
“Internal control, ethical behaviour, accountability will start from the top and go down the ranks. We are committed to providing the right leadership,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the new ACTU members, Deputy General Manager, General Administration Services, at the NSITF Abuja Regional Office, Asma’u Mohammed, pledged that they would discharge their responsibilities with diligence, fairness and
professionalism.
She thanked the management, particularly Faleye, for the confidence placed in them and acknowledged the ICPC’s continued support in strengthening integrity systems across public institutions.
Mohammed said the inauguration represented a renewed commitment to embedding transparency and accountability in the Fund’s operations, adding that the unit would help identify corruption risks, encourage compliance with established procedures and promote ethical conduct.
She also welcomed the appointment of regional and branch champions, describing the initiative as an opportunity to take integrity advocacy beyond the headquarters and into the Fund’s offices nationwide.
She, however, stressed that the fight against corruption required the involvement of all staff, pledging that ACTU members would work with management, employees and relevant stakeholders to strengthen safeguards within the organisation.
In his remarks, ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, described the inauguration as an important step towards strengthening accountability and internal oversight at the Fund.
He explained that ACTUs were established through collaboration between the ICPC and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) to help public institutions identify weaknesses in their systems, reduce corruption risks and improve compliance with established rules.
Aliyu stressed that the unit was designed to support management rather than compete with it, urging the NSITF leadership to provide adequate funding, office facilities and representation for ACTU on relevant standing committees.
He also encouraged the Fund to invite the ICPC to observe recruitment, promotion and procurement exercises to strengthen confidence in the processes.
The ICPC chairman urged the newly appointed members to remain impartial and avoid relationships or actions that could compromise their independence and credibility.
He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to working with the NSITF to promote good governance, transparency and ethical standards in public service.
Earlier, Acting Chairperson of the NSITF ACTU, Udoka Mirian Otti, said the initiative would help deepen anti-corruption awareness across the Fund.
Otti noted that the NSITF, which provides social security protection to Nigerian workers and their dependants under the Employees’ Compensation Scheme, must ensure that its internal processes reflect fairness, responsibility and accountability.
She thanked the ICPC for its guidance and the Fund’s management for supporting efforts to strengthen transparency, stressing that preventing corruption required the active participation of every staff member.
