The Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, Chris Ngige, has condemned a bill aimed at reorganising the National Social Investment Programmes of the Federal Government.
The program was orchestrated by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The bill, which also proposed that the state and the local government should share the responsibilities of SIPs with the Federal Government, was jointly sponsored by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila; Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase; Mansur Soro and nine other members.
The proposed legislation is titled, ‘A Bill for an Act to Provide a Legal Framework for Establishment of National Social Investment Programmes for the Assistance and Empowerment of the Poor and Vulnerable in Nigeria; and to Establish the National Social Investment Programmes Coordination Office within the Federal Ministry Responsible for Social Development to Manage the Implementation of the Programmes and National Social Investments Trust Fund to Alleviate Poverty among Vulnerable Nigerian Citizens through Targeted Programmes for the Aged, Infirm, Unemployed and Students.’
Speaking on Thursday at the public hearing on the bill, Ngige, represented by Paul Okwulehie, pointed out that some of the responsibilities of the proposed bodies would clash with those of existing ones such as the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund.
He said “The current administration has done excellently well with the programmes it has enunciated with respect to poverty to poverty alleviation. Before this administration, we had the NEEDS programme and others. So, we find that programmes and interventions targeted at the poor thus change and that is constitutional.”
Criticising the second bill, the minister said, “You will discover that there is duplication of functions already domiciled in the NSITF. Taking it to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs will be a duplication of that particular function.”
He also maintained that “If we look at the title of the second bill that talked about the institutional framework, which is the establishment of the Social Investment Trust Fund to alleviate poverty amongst vulnerable Nigerians, you will discover that it is still the same citation, and so still in conflict with the NSITF Act.”
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the program has said the bill was purposely to ensure continuity and accountability for the NSIP.
The Speaker, who was represented by the Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa said, “One bill seeks to codify the National Social Investment Programmes into law and establish a framework for coordinating, implementing, monitoring and improving those programmes.
“The other seeks to establish a National Social Investment Trust Fund. In considering both of these legislative proposals, I expect that the stakeholders here today will give thought to the best practices worldwide and be influenced by considerations of economic and public finance realities.”