By Yemisi Izuora
The National Insurance Commission, NAICOM says the Commission has honoured invitation sent to it by the National Assembly to defend its budget performance.
The Commissioner of insurance, Mohammed Kari was at the senate today 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.
Rassaq Salami, the agency’s spokesman in a statement confirmed the Commissioners visit to the Senate as against report that he was arrested by the Department of State Service.
Salami however, explained that the workers’ union had shut the business premises of the Commission and prevented access into the building, and to maintain law and order, the DSS attached to the Commission as a government organisation waded into the crises.
He said the operatives ensured that management left the premises without being attacked as the protest was getting violent.
The union switched off the IT facility and lights in the premises, just as the DSS assisted the Commissioner to exit the premises because he needed to attend a meeting with the Senate Committee on Finance and Insurance.
“He was at the National Assembly today for the meeting and was never arrested. The management will tomorrow hold a meeting with the union to resolve issues” Salami assured.
The crises with the Union started when the agency relocated its Inspectorate Directorate to Lagos.
The NAICOM had said that the action was to ensure better service delivery to stakeholders.
“The relocation is 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.
For the records, the Directorate is saddled with the responsibility of conducting on-site inspection of insurance entities for the Commission. It is imperative to note that over 90% of insurance operators are headquartered in Lagos being the hub of commercial and economic activities in the country.
Thus, this exercise will ensure prompt and regular inspection of these insurance firms – Insurance Companies and Brokers” the Commission explained.
Meanwhile, the Commission in a letter dated 23 of November 2016, addressed to the minister of labour and employment complained about the action by the union under the auspices of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, AUPCTRE.
The Commission informed the minister that the action was embarked upon without notice to the management and without recourse to the laid down dispute resolution procedure.
It said the management was not aware of the cause of the dispute that led to the action taken by the union.