The Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Mr Oluwaseun Faleye, has said the inauguration of the Fund’s Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) is a renewed commitment to building an institution guided by integrity and public trust.
Faleye stated this in Abuja at the inauguration of the NSITF ACTU and its Regional and Branch Champions which held at the Fund’s headquarters recently.
Welcoming the delegation of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), led by the representative of the Chairman, the NSITF boss described ICPC as a friend of the Fund and commended its role in driving compliance and transformative initiatives in the organisation.
“It has truly been a long day coming. We have been at this for a bit, and I am glad we have finally found a way to do this,” Faleye said.
The NSITF MD said the presence of the ICPC delegation was a testament to the collaborative relationship between both agencies, noting that while many organisations run when they hear ICPC, NSITF sees collaboration as a pathway to learning and improvement.
“Our shared commitment to protecting and promoting transparency, accountability and ethical conduct in public service is one reason we feel collaboration is very important,” he said, stressing that the inauguration was more than a formal exercise, but a statement of the kind of institution NSITF wants to be.
“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.”
Faleye allayed fears among staff that the Unit was set up for witch-hunting, explaining that ACTU’s role is preventive and collaborative.
“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,” he said.
He urged staff to see the Unit as a partner and urged ACTU members to engage colleagues in a manner that puts them at ease to share information and, where necessary, blow the whistle.
Faleye charged the newly inaugurated members and champions to discharge their duties with integrity, objectivity, courage and professionalism, adding that the credibility of the Unit would depend not on its existence on paper, but on the impact of its work on the Fund’s integrity rating.
He added that the onboarding of regional and branch champions was critical to extending the anti-corruption culture beyond the head office, since most of the Fund’s operations happen at the branches and regions, and emphasized that preventing corruption is the responsibility of every staff member, from the Managing Director to the lowest rank, and not ACTU alone.
“Every staff member has a duty to uphold established procedures, protect public resources and act in the best interest of the institution,” he said.
