Social security scheme for the unemployed coming
Govt to amend Health Insurance Act
From Dele Fanimo and Collins Olayinka, Abuja

BETTER days seem to be on the cards for the unemployed and other vulnerable groups in the country as the Federal Government has unfolded plans to establish an integrated social security scheme for them.

Besides, the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr. Dogo Muhammad, has also said that a process to amend the NHIS Act was underway.

According to him, the amendment would include the formal sector and make it mandatory for all Nigerians to access the scheme.

The first stage to realising the new social security programme was unfolded in Abuja yesterday by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Adetokunbo Kayode, while inaugurating the National Working Committee on Social Security Policy for Nigeria headed by former Head of State, Dr. Yakubu Gowon.

Kayode lamented the absence of social security in Nigeria 49 years after independence despite the country being an active player in the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) affairs and playing host to the labour watchdog since 1960.

According to the minister, the inauguration of the national working committee on social security is informed by the urgent need to ensure that the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) executes its mandate of delivering social security to the poor.

His words: "Notwithstanding the fact that the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund is empowered vide Section 71 (2) of the Pension Reform Act 2004 and Section 16 of the NSITF Act 1993 to provide social security services for Nigerians, the absence of a national policy has made it difficult for the Fund to implement its mandate. The funding of the scheme and the contingencies to be covered have not been clearly captured in the two legislations.

"It is also pertinent to mention that the different ministries, parastatals and agencies which provide various social protection activities in a rather uncoordinated manner has not been helpful in delivering social security benefits to the people."

The committee is saddled with drafting a holistic national social security policy that will take into cognisance the formal and informal sectors of the economy, recommend robust and sustainable financing options for an integrated system and also recommend an administrative structure for the implementation of an integrated national social security scheme with a view to harmonising the overlapping functions of agencies, departments and ministries.

While lauding Kayode for initiating a programme aimed at alleviating the suffering of the poor, Gowon described the welfare of the people as the primary responsibility of government and therefore stressed the need for harmonisation of all social security agencies.

He said: "Let me remind all of us that democracy is a means to having a people-oriented government and that the essence of government is basically the welfare and security of the people. Consequently therefore, social security becomes the first principle, which no government should toy with. I am happy that the present administration takes the issues of social protection with utmost seriousness."

On the amendment to the NHIS Act, Muhammad told The Guardian that: "I can tell you that the process of amending the Act establishing the NHIS is presently going on. Though the process is not at the National Assembly yet, we have started it because there is the need for all Nigerians to be able to access the contributory health scheme.

"As it is now, participatory is voluntary, which is not good enough. In other parts of the world, participatory is compulsory but now in Nigeria it is optional. In the nearest future, the scheme will be made compulsory so that every Nigerians irrespective of social standing will be able to access the contributory health care."

The first stage to realising the new social security programme was unfolded in Abuja yesterday by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Adetokunbo Kayode, while inaugurating the National Working Committee on Social Security Policy for Nigeria headed by former Head of State, Dr. Yakubu Gowon.

Kayode lamented the absence of social security in Nigeria 49 years after independence despite the country being an active player in the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) affairs and playing host to the labour watchdog since 1960.

only in nigeria

wuru wuru to the ans

Sisi Jinx:

@ Topic
Tee hee hee

It amuses me when Naija tries to feel among!!!

How are they gonna keep track? Oh wait, I forgot they are gonna use the almighty, all seeing and all knowing computer.

But. . . but how are they gonna power it. . . what with no light and all?

And these are just the basics. . .

Hmmm, more sleepless nights for some people.

What tax?

strangleyo:

You cant have a social security system without a running property tax and personal income tax systems.

This is a sham.

white elephant loot scheme for future welfare millionaire kings!



What we need to do is liberalize the property markets first and allow nigerians to build home equity. Then allow the state to collect the appropriate property taxes (our current system is a sham).

We need to bring the gray market to light so we can tax it.

Then we can think about redistribution.

Moonstone:

I think they need to plan this in a better format. Do they know how many unemployed people are out there? Can they sustain the high population of the unemployed people? They want to go bankrupt, I don't think economic recession and monocropping is enough for them yet. They better settle the basic infrastructure instead of thinking of this right now. We have more pressing issues.
This will only be an avenue for more corruption.

You cant have a social security system without a running property tax and personal income tax systems.

This is a sham.

white elephant loot scheme for future welfare millionaire kings!



What we need to do is liberalize the property markets first and allow nigerians to build home equity. Then allow the state to collect the appropriate property taxes (our current system is a sham).

We need to bring the gray market to light so we can tax it.

Then we can think about redistribution.

Eziachi:

This is laughable, isn't this another gimmick scheme to steal money by Nigerian rogue rulers? Another of Babangiida's Peoples Bank brewing. How can a nation with no known record keeping or data system ever to run a social security scheme?
How will they know who has a job and who hasn't as there are no tax record in Nigeria? where a normal street person never pays tax and rich people pays only what they are willing to give up and mostly to get their paper for visa processsing as that is compulsory with many embassies in Nigeria.

As we speak, Nigeria has no record of birth, death. Areas are never postcoded, post office which form the engine of any social security is non existence. People move about like roaming animal without any legal known address system, people quotes any age they feel like quoting when it suits the occassion.

Police has no record of criminals, no record criminal convictions or things like motoring offences, hence a single car in Nigeria during it's life time can bear as many colours as the owner is willing to smack on it's body, while in many countries even as little as Cameroon and Gabon every car can only bear one single body colour through out it's life shelf on the road.
Will they pay it by cash or straight to the bank and how many Nigeria run a bank account? If it's by cash, those paying out will be opening ghost accounts where they will be paying the whole money into. Do you remember the toll gates? Give me a break!!!!!!

dbisiback:

This is just laughable, Nigeria that has no record, incredible!

Reminds me of the stress we had to go through in those days to get 500 naira bursary