From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The new Managing Director and Chief Executive of Nigeria Social  Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Dr. Michael Akabogu, has vowed to run the affairs of the Fund with transparency and fairness. 
He added that his management team would be devoid of favouritism and segregation.
He made the pledge during the formal handing over to him by the outgoing acting MD and CEO, Dr. Kelly Nwagha, at the Board Room of NSITF headquarters in Abuja.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had installed Akabogu MD of NSITF following the sack of the former MD Nwagha with some board members over alleged corrupt practices and misappropriation of funds.
The new head of the Fund urged members of staff to ensure building cordial relationship among themselves adding that going forward,  appointments and responsibilities would be awarded by merit.
He expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister for Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, for the trust reposed in him and the new Management team.
“I am humbled by this privilege but more importantly, this appointment is coming at a time when the Fund is undergoing various levels of restructuring based on various past challenges”, Akabogu said.
He further advised members of the staff to exhibit strength of character, hard work and probity by every word, noting that “we must consider ourselves blessed to have an opportunity to serve our dear country, Nigeria.”
He disclosed that his management team would focus on fulfilling the core mandate and restore confidence in the processes and dignity of the Fund.
 “We would aim to achieve the following: create pathways to reward excellent and outstanding service while maintaining upmost commitment to staff welfare, reposition the public perception of the Fund, increase the productivity of every Department of the Fund and use quantifiable metrics to measure our performance in the weeks and months ahead, improve on and ensure prompt payments of Claims and Compensations to give value for money to all the contributors in our ECA Scheme” Akabogu said.
Others also listed among the plans are; widening the spread of the Fund’s enrollee, creation of more visibility for the Fund through improved public engagement and public enlightenment activities; and creation of a conducive atmosphere in the organisation to make the Fund a great place to work.
“These would indeed be the key objectives amongst many others upon which the New Management would be evaluated at the close of our tenure.” He added.
 In his handing over remarks, the former acting Managing Director/CE, Dr. Nwagha, promised to support the new management to succeed, and asked for all hands to be on deck for the success of the Fund.
 He equally thanked the President and the Minister of Labour and Employment for giving him and his team the opportunity to manage the organisation for 11 months.
 He listed the achievements of his management team within the period as improvement of staff welfare, probity of funds, change of the narrative to service provision, more media visibility of the Fund, over N5 billion investment in Treasury Bills and equity, recovery of over N30 million from facilitators, and in the process of recovering N300million being illegal charges and deductions from an old generation commercial bank.
The handing-over ceremony was streamed live on social media with all the branches and regions hooking up to watch the event in virtually.