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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)
The Commissioner of Police in Osun, Mohammed Abba, has pledged collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in tackling the menace of drug Abuse in the state.
A statement by the Police Public Relation Officer, CSP Yemisi Opalaola, on Thursday in Osogbo, said that the commissioner made the pledge while playing host to NDLEA State Commandant, Adetula Lawal.
Abba expressed his readiness to further strengthen the healthy partnership between the two agencies.
The police commissioner said that the fight against drug abuse required collective efforts.
According to him, many of those committing crimes are doing so under the influence of dangerous drugs.
Abba promised to provide the necessary support to the NDLEA in the state.
The statement quoted Lawal as commending the police commissioner’s efforts in combating crime and criminality in the state.
He reiterated the agency’s collaboration with the police, as a leading security agency to tackle the menace of drug abuse and trafficking in the state.
Financial experts have raised alarm that the implementation of the 4 per cent Free-On-Board (FOB) Levy on imports would exacerbate inflation in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Feb. 5 announced its introduction of the FOB levy on imports.
According to Abdullahi Maiwada, the spokesman of the service, the introduction of the levy was in line with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCSA) 2023.
“In line with the provisions of Section 18 (1) of NCSA 2023, the NCS is implementing a 4 per cent charge on the Free On-Board (FOB) value of imports.
“The FOB charge, which is calculated based on the value of imported goods, including the cost of goods and transportation expenses incurred up to the port of loading, is essential to driving the effective operation of the service.”
However, a former Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ogun Chapter, Dr Wale Adegbite and Evans Osabuohien, a Professor of Economics, said that the levy would worsen the nation’s inflation rate.
In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Ota, Ogun, Adegbite and Osabuohien of the Department of Economics, Covenant University, said that the policy would negatively impact the economy.
The former MAN chairman said that the 4 per cent levy by the NCS “is a disaster and will worsen an already bad situation with multiple devastating effect on the economy.
” Why would the government inflict more hardship on the population as this new policy will certainly lead to more price increase, thus further increasing the country’s inflation rate.
“In addition, the masses will suffer more because of the impending price increase without any corresponding increase in income.”
Also, Osabuohien said that though the new FOB policy by the NCS was meant to generate more revenue for the federal government, but it would negatively impact on the economy.
He said that the NCS action would increase the cost of living of households.
The economist explained further that the development would increase the cost of operations of Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs), especially those companies that depend on imported raw materials for their production.
“This additional cost to be incurred through the 4 per cent increase in FOB would be transferred to the consumers and it would automatically trigger increase in the nation’s inflation rate,” Osabuohien said.
U.S. President Donald Trump plans to impose tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and aluminium imports into the United States, he said on Sunday.
“Any steel coming to the United States is going to have them, 25 per cent tariff,” Trump said, according to journalists travelling with the president. When questioned about tariffs on aluminium imports, Trump replied, “25 Per cent for both.”
Trump also confirmed his plan to announce further reciprocal tariffs in the coming week.
He spoke of an announcement on Tuesday or Wednesday.
“Very simply, if they charge us, we charge them, Trump told reporters, adding that the tariffs would go into effect almost immediately.”
U.S. tariffs of 10 per cent on Chinese goods took effect from Feb. 4.
The planned tariffs of 25 per cent on Mexico and Canada were suspended for an initial period of 30 days following promises from the two countries to increase border security measures.
Trump won November’s presidential election promising to slap high tariffs on foreign goods to reduce U.S. trade deficits.
He implemented a number of duties during his first term from 2017 to 2021.
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