Headlines
Court orders NSITF to pay compensation of late insured staff to father
The National Industrial Court has ordered the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Management Board to pay compensation to the father and next-of-kin of a deceased that had his life insured with them.
The claimant, Moses Ikpaki, who is the next-of-kin to his son Deinma Ikpaki, who died in the course of his employment, dragged the defendant, NSITF before the court for payment of compensation.
The defendant had claimed that the deceased’s death did not occur in the course of his employment.
Delivering judgment, Justice Faustina Kola-Olalere declared that the late Ikpaki’s death occurred in the course of his employment.
The judge stated that two issues needed to be resolved by the court between the parties.
She said, “Can it be said that the deceased died or his death occurred out of or in the course of his employment with employer?
“Is the claimant entitled to the reliefs he is seeking from the defendant?”
After perusal of the submission of both counsels, Kola-Olalere held that the deceased died in the course of his employment.
The court in addition stated that the premises, where late Ikpaki was found dead, qualified as the deceased’s ‘workplace’ within the provision of the Employees’ Compensation Act.
The court, therefore, ordered the defendant, the deceased employer’s Insurance Company to promptly compute, calculate and pay compensation for the death of late Ikpaki in the course of his work to his father within two weeks.
The court, however, refused the claim for the sum of N10 million general damages.
The judge held that the aim of an award of damages was not to make a windfall or excessive profit.
The court, therefore, awarded the sum of N1 million in favour of the claimant for cost of prosecution of the suit as sought by claimant.
From facts, the claimant, the father of the late Ikpaki, who died in the service of his employer, sought among others for an order of mandamus compelling NSITF to pay compensation with the sum of N10 million as general damages and N1 million as cost of suit.
In defence, NSITF Management Board maintained that Ikpaki’s death did not arise out of or in the course of employment but after he had left his workplace.
The defendant argued that the deceased died in a swimming pool at a guest house in his employer’s Camp and not on his way back between his place of work and his principal residence.
Also, the NSITF also submitted that the deceased was employed as an Environmental Solution Specialist, specifically to work in an oil rig.
Its counsel added that the scope of his employment was in no way connected with working within or around a swimming pool and that deceased did not die in the course of his employment and urged the court to dismiss the case.
In opposition, the claimant’s counsel maintained that the employer’s contractor camped the deceased and other employees at its camp which was not part of his workplace.
The counsel averred that the late Ikpaki employer informed the commission to promptly pay compensation to his next-of-kin but the order was refused and therefore urged the court to grant the relief sought. (NAN)
Vehicular movement along the Yelwata axis of the Benue–Nasarawa highway was brought to a standstill on Wednesday as Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, staged a protest, demanding immediate return to their ancestral homes.
The protesters, believed to be victims of persistent attacks by suspected herdsmen, blocked both lanes of the busy highway for several hours, chanting “We want to go back home”.
The protest caused disruption, leaving hundreds of motorists and passengers stranded.
Eyewitnesses said the displaced persons, many of whom have spent years in overcrowded IDP camps, are expressing deep frustration over the government’s delay in restoring security to their communities.
“We have suffered enough. We want to return to our homes and farms,” one of the protesters told reporters at the scene.
Security personnel were reportedly deployed to monitor the situation and prevent any escalation, though tensions remained high as of press time.
Efforts to reach the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, and other relevant authorities for comment were unsuccessful.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL has officially decided not to sell the Port Harcourt Refining Company.
NNPCL has, instead said it is committed to conducting an extensive rehabilitation of the facility and ensuring its continued operation.
During a company-wide town hall meeting held at the NNPC Towers in Abuja, Bayo Ojulari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, announced the decision regarding the future of the nation’s most significant state-owned refining asset, putting an end to weeks of speculation.
A statement by NNPCL reads, “The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has officially ruled out the sale of the Port Harcourt Refining Company, reaffirming its commitment to completing high-grade rehabilitation and retention of the plant.
“The ongoing review indicates that the earlier decision to operate the Port Harcourt refinery, before full completion of its rehabilitation, was ill-informed and subcommercial.
”Although progress is being made on all three, the emerging outlook calls for more advanced technical partnerships to complete and high-grade the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery.
”Thus, selling is highly unlikely as it would lead to further value erosion.”
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Adeyemi Olumode, as the new Federal Fire Service, FFS, Controller-General.
The appointment was announced on Wednesday on behalf of the Federal Government by retired Maj.-Gen Abdulmalik Jubril, Secretary of the Civil, Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board, CDCFIB.
Jubril said the appointment followed the retirement of the current Controller-General, Abdulganiyu Jaji, on August 13.
Jaji is retiring upon attaining the age of 60 by August 13.
Jibril further disclosed said that Adeyemi Olumode is qualified for the position, having attended and passed all mandatory in-service training, Command courses as well as other courses within and outside the country.
“He brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having transferred his service from the FCT Fire Service to the Federal Fire Service and grown to the rank of DCG in the Human Resource Directorate of the Service Headquarters.
“He has served in various capacities and is equally a member/fellow of the following professional associations including Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, ANAN, Institute of Corporate Administration of Nigeria, Institute of Public Administration of Nigeria and Chartered Institute of Treasury Management of Nigeria.”
Benue IDPs block highway, demand return to ancestral homes
NNPCL reveals decision not to sell Port Harcourt refinery
Tinubu appoints Olumode Adeyemi as Federal Fire Service boss
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