The police high command has revealed that it would enroll its officers on the federal government’s Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS).
This, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, said would provide additional social benefits for the Force and its personnel serving nationwide.
The scheme, being overseen by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), is for employees in different organisations in case of injuries, diseases, or death, which may occur in the course of work.
The IGP disclosed this at Force Headquarters during the weekend when the Managing Director of NSITF, Oluwaseun Faleye visited him.
The top cop said the Force would join hands with the NSITF to ensure compliance with the scheme among the public and private sector employers.
“From now on, we are going to work together to make sure that the Nigerian Police Force become active partners with the NSITF. We are going to contribute to the Scheme.
“We will do everything possible. Whatever that is stopping the NPF from contributing to the NSITF, we have to look into it and make sure that it works this time around,” Egbetokun said.
The police boss pledged that the force would join forces with the agencies to ensure that all private and public sector employers key into the scheme.
Earlier, Faleye expressed concerns over police absence of compliance with the scheme in the past, adding that it believed the IGP would address it.
The NSITF boss said he would like to ensure that the rank-and-file in the police force benefits from the scheme.
“We are here to state our appreciation first and foremost as Nigerians for the efforts of the leadership of the Nigerian Police Force in securing the nation.
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“Secondly, is to engage with the leadership of the Nigerian Police Force on the core mandate of the NSITF and that is to see how to collaborate, extend the numerous benefits of our social insurance cover to the rank and file of the police in line with our mandate.
“As some of you may be aware, the NSITF is mandated by law to implement the Employees’ Compensation Scheme under which it pays claims and compensations for injuries, diseases or death which may occur in the course of work.
“But these benefits can only be accessed by workers enrolled by their employers. Over the years, we have been in the forefront of providing these various benefits which include disability benefits, death benefits, medical expenses refund, loss of productivity payment, and rehabilitation of accident victims to fit into a new skill in situations where the employee can’t go back to his original employment.
“We also take care of the dependents of the deceased enrollee until the last child attains the age of 21 or graduates from the university but this is on the condition that the beneficiary is totally dependent on the deceased.
“These benefits have significant effects on productivity because if the rank and file know that when injury or death arise from the course of work, their families and dependents will be compensated in accordance with the NSITF Act, gallantry will increase, confidence will be imbued, thus resulting in higher productivity.
“Beyond the financial benefits, there are also health benefits aligned with our occupational safety and awareness activities aimed to promote health and safety in workplaces, thereby preventing accidents. This accident prevention is actually the first step in the ECS process.
“We, therefore, feel that there is no institution better deserving of this social security cover than the Nigerian Police Force; hence elated by the assurance by the Inspector General that the police will come on board the ECS soon.”
