NAICOM seeks intervention of Labour Ministry in staff protest

By ABDUL OLALEKAN

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has written to the Federal Ministry of Labour & Employment, urging it to intervene in the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by the staff of the commission.

The protesting staff, under the auspices of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), embarked on the industrial action by locking up the office premises and sitting outside the gate with placards, chanting songs on Wednesday.

The commission, which  was unhappy with this protest, said in a letter sent to the Labour Ministry and made available to Business 247 News Online on Thursday that the striking staff shutdown the system through switching off the internet, intercom and power services.

The staff, it was learnt, also threatened to continue the industrial action today, if the management refuse to listen to them.

The management of the regulatory body claimed ignorance of the cause of the dispute that led to the action taken by the union.

The union, it was learnt, were protesting against the relocation of Inspectorate Department of the commission to Lagos, which they said was not done in good faith.

But NAICOM said the relocation of its Inspectorate Directorate from the head office in Abuja to the Lagos Control office was part of an ongoing restructuring exercise aimed at improving efficiency of the workforce and bringing the Commission closer to the regulated entities for effective insurance industry supervision.

Business 247 News Online investigations show that the management of NAICOM is expected to meet the protesting workers today, latest by noon, to put an end to the industrial action.

Meanwhile, the commission has debunked a report that the DSS and police have arrested the Commissioner for Insurance, Alh Mohammed Kari over allegations of fraud and financial mismanagement.

A statement from the Head, Corporate Affairs, NAICOM,  Mr. Rassaq Salami, said: “The National insurance Commission wishes to state that the Commissioner for insurance Mohammed Kari  was at the  senate today(yesterday) being  23rd November 2016 to honour his earlier invitation from the Senate committee on Banking, Insurance and other financial institutions on the Commission’s 2016 budget performance.  He was never arrested by the Department of state service as is being circulated.”

The DSS and Police attached to NAICOM for security, the statement added, only paved the way for Kari to leave the office and avoid any molestation by staff at the entrance gate to the Commission.