The Nation Newspaper

Tag: compensation

  • Balogun Market fire:Traders seek compensation from Lagos

    Marketers and traders in Lagos State have appealed to the state government to compensate victims of Balogun Market fire, which happened on Monday.

    The traders, acting under the aegis of Coalition of Markets and Traders Association in Lagos, made  the appeal yesterday when they held an ‘extraordinary general meeting’.

    Speaking at the event, Sir Nnamdi Nwigwe of the Association of Igbos in Commerce (AIC), one of the associations in the Coalition, noted that traders who lost one item or the other in the fire that razed the market needed to be compensated to serve as consolation for  their loses.

    Sir Nwigwe lamented that some traders displayed their wares along the road that should have been used by men of the Lagos State Fire  and Safety Services to  doused the inferno and reduce losses.

    He therefore urged Governor Babatunde Fashola to urgently take steps to stop  people who illegally and indiscriminately display their wares.

    The group also urged the government to back an insurance policy for marketers to cover situations such as fire outbreaks and other losses.

    The Coalition is the umbrella body of four associations, namely: AIC, Traders Rights Protecion Initiative (TRPI), Amalgamated Traders, Lagos and Market Leaders Association.

    The gathering also had in attendance, the Imo State Liaison Officer for Lagos, Alfred Ononugbo.

    The association enjoined traders not to make themselves instruments in the hands of desperate politicians. They threatened to severely sanction any trader caught in the act.

  • Gombe post-election victims to get compensation

    The Gombe State Government will soon compensate victims of the 2011 post-election violence victims, Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo has said.

    The governor spoke on Saturday at the annual cultural festival of the Tangale and the Kaltungo people at Billiri and Kaltungo local government areas.

    He said: “I have been assured, In shaa Allah, that in January or February, the victims would be supported and paid their entitlements that have been computed.

    “I want to assure our retirees for state and local governments that we have almost finished clearing that of the state’s backlog, which we inherited from 2008. We have started settling the share of gratuity of local governments.

    “But the most important thing is that no retiree in Gombe State is not paid pension. All retirees are on pension payroll and are paid monthly.”

  • QoS: Telcos get Jan. deadline on subscribers’ compensation

    QoS: Telcos get Jan. deadline on subscribers’ compensation

    With effect from January next year, it no longer would be business as usual with quality of service (QoS) as the regulator of the telecoms sector, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said it has set up a committee to look into how consumers would be compensated directly by telcos for loss of air time due to their inefficiencies.

    NCC said the telcos have been given up till January next year to come up with proposals on how consumers could be compensated directly.

    This is perhaps a reaction to the agitation of telecoms subscribers that have never concealed their disgust at the current practice where the telcos are fined and payment made to the coffers of the Federal Government. They described the practice as unjust since they are the ones that suffer the poor QoS from the telcos.

    The Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, NCC, Mrs Maryam Bayi who spoke during the Fourth Quarterly Meeting of the Industry Consumer Advisory Forum (ICAF) organised by the regulator in Abuja, said the regulator is not happy over the way consumers were being haunted  with unsolicited text messages by the telcos, adding that steps have already been taken to address the menace..

    Mrs. Bayi said due to the measures adopted by the NCC in conjunction with the telcos, consumers’ complaints have dropped to about 40,000 per day across the country.

    The regulator blamed states and local government areas in the country for hindering the development of telecoms infrastructures, citing Lagos State as the only state among the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja,that has shown understanding on the need to put infrastructure development before aggressive pursuit of internally generated revenue (IGR). The Lagos State government had reduced by about 98 per cent, the cost of installing infrastructure by telcos in the state.

    Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Dr. Okechukwu Itanyi said the Lagos State government has considerably reduced the cost of obtaining right of way (RoW) and the cost of erecting base transmission stations (BTS), while the Abuja has consistently refused to grant approvals to the service providers to expand infrastructure to redefine QoS.

    According to him, aside challenges in the power sector, vandalism, multiple/regulation taxation, access to RoW and stealing of generators at cell sites are factors standing on the way of good QoS..

    Itanyi lamented that it takes an average of six months to get approvals for the establishment of base stations while approvals do not come at all in some states on the excuse that it distort the master plans of the cities.

    He however said the NCC is working with other critical stakeholders in the industry to address the issue, stressing that once they are taken care of, the industry would assume its rightful position as the driver of economic development.

    Participants agreed that telcos and the regulator should collaborate with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to ensure the protection of telecoms infrastructures across the country.

    They also urged the NCC to expand the membership of ICAF to include civil society and advocacy groups while service providers must effect the opt-out and opt-in option in the issue of unslocited text messages.

    Participants also said the National Orientation Agency (NOA) should collaborate with the NCC and the NSCDC in training the youths in the communities on how to install and protect communication infrastructures in their communities.

  • Colonisation: Time to demand compensation 

    SIR: When Libya demanded compensation from Italy for its colonization, the world thought it a joke. But before our very eyes, Libya got Italy to accept the fact that it owed compensation to the Libyan people.

    Italy admitted that its colonization of Libya was wrong and will never be repeated, and it promised not to attack the Libyan territory by land, air or sea. Italy also agreed to provide Libya with $250 million a year in compensation over a period of 20 years and to build hospitals for the Libyan people.

    More than 50 years have passed since Britain returned sovereignty to the people of Nigeria. Yet, the federal government has not deemed it fit to demand compensation from the country which invaded our territory, stole about 90 percent of our artefacts, expropriated a significant part of our mineral resources, forced our men and women into labour and slavery, humiliated us by subjecting and reducing us into mere second class citizens in our own lands and polluting and relegating our cultural values to the background.

    The time is ripe for Nigeria to take advantage of Libya’s achievement and as a matter of utmost national importance, seek compensation from the British government.

    Colonization should be punished; the countries that harmed other peoples during the colonial era should pay compensation for the damages and sufferings they inflicted. What Africa needs is compensation, not aids. We should not be seen as poor and beggars. No we aren’t poor, the colonial authorities made us poor. They should compensate us for all the atrocities committed against our peoples, the unlawful encroachment into our lands, desecration of our shrines, and our African values.

    Now is time for us to ask and demand that all that was stolen and unlawfully taken from us be returned without further delay.

    • Hussain Obaro,

    Ilorin, Kwara State.

  • Investors’ Protection Fund to pay investors compensation

    Investors’ Protection Fund to pay investors compensation

    The Investors’ Protection Fund (IPF) of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) may soon begin payment of compensations to investors as the board of trustees of the scheme finalises operating groundwork to ensure smooth and continuous operations.

    A  source in the know of the activities of the IPF told The Nation that the board of IPF was rounding off operating structures and framework for the scheme and would roll out its maiden compensation soon to announce the commencement of effective operations.

    According to the source, after the approval of the IPF rules by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the board of trustees of IPF had gone back to the drawing board to ensure that it fashioned effective operating structure and framework that will sustain the scheme.

    “Any moment from now, the IPF will do something. The board is well aware of anxieties by stakeholders but it is taking its time to ensure things are done very well. After the rules, there were still some background things that needed to be done, these are being finalized now,” the source said.

    A management source at the NSE had hinted that the IPF would also look at the backlog of complaints already submitted to the Exchange as starting points for its operations in addition to new complaints.

    The IPF rules allow the NSE to submit complaints made to it to the IPF while investors can also directly petition the IPF.

    SEC had in January 2014 approved the rules for the NSE’s IPF. The rules empower the board of IPF to make payment of compensation based on the claim submitted to the NSE and verified by the NSE or claim submitted to the board of IPF and verified by it, according to relevant sections of the ISA.

    Sources in the know said some of the post-approval groundwork included the written policy on compensation, management of funds and reporting guidelines in order to ensure that the operations of the scheme are transparent and equitable to all investors.

    The IPF rules empower the board of IPF to have at anytime a written policy on the maximum compensation payable to an investor who has suffered a loss. The board can review this maximum compensation limit from time to time according to prevailing circumstances at the market.

    Compensation would be paid subject to conclusive decision of the board on the basis of evidence that the investor has a claim against a dealing member, duly applied for settlement of its claim from the dealing member; the dealing member was unable or likely to be unable to satisfy the claim within a reasonable period and the investor then, duly applied for compensation from the Fund.

    The board of IPF is also empowered to invest the funds with a view to grow the capital base of the IPF.

    Part XIV of the Investment and Securities Act 2007 requires the Exchange to establish and maintain an investors protection fund to compensate investors with genuine claims of pecuniary loss against dealing member firms resulting from insolvency, bankruptcy or negligence of a dealing member firm of a securities exchange or capital trade points; and defalcation committed by a dealing member firm or any of its directors, officers, employees or representatives in relation to securities, money or any property entrusted to, or received by the dealing member firm in its course of business as a capital market operator.

    The NSE had in 2012 inaugurated a nine-man board of trustees under the chairmanship of Mr Gamaliel Onosode. Other members of the board included managing director of Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Oscar Onyema; Misan Kofi-Senaya, managing director of Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS), Mr. Kyari Bukar, Chairman, Ibadan Zonal Shareholders Association (IBZA), Chief Sola Abodurin; Fubara Anga, Edosa Kennedy Aigbekaen, Sam Onukwe and Umaru Modibo.

    The IPF rules indicates that an investor whose claim is within the maximum limit may be paid the full amount of the loss, after deduction of any amount or value of all monies or other benefits received or receivable by the investor from a source other than the Fund in reduction of the loss.

    Besides, where the board is satisfied that in principle compensation is payable but considers that immediate payment in full would not be prudent having regard to other applications for compensation, or to any uncertainty as to the amount of the investor’s overall net claim, the draft empowers the board to pay an appropriate lesser sum in final settlement or to make a payment on account.

    The board may also determine to make a payment on account or to pay a lesser sum where the investor has any prospect of recovery in respect of the claim from any third party or through an application for compensation to any other person or authority.

    Compensation would be paid subject to conclusive decision of the board on the basis of evidence that the investor has a claim against a dealing member, duly applied for settlement of its claim from the dealing member; the dealing member was unable or likely to be unable to satisfy the claim within a reasonable period and the investor then, duly applied for compensation from the Fund.

    According to the rules, an application for compensation may be rejected if it is not promptly made and in any event within the periods stipulated in the ISA or where the investor is responsible for, or has directly or indirectly profited from, events relating to the dealing member firm’s business which gave rise to the firm’s financial difficulties.

    The draft empowers the board to make payment of compensation based on the claim submitted to the NSE and verified by the NSE or claim submitted to the board of IPF and verified by it, according to relevant sections of the ISA.

    In the event of multiple claims, person who claims in a double capacity for himself and as the personal representative of a deceased investor will be treated in respect of the representative claim as if he were the deceased investor without prejudice to his own personal claim.

    Also, where a person claims for himself and as a trustee, he will be treated in respect of the latter claim as a different person.

    But where two or more persons in partnership have a joint beneficial claim, the claim will be treated as the claim of the partnership; otherwise each of them would be taken to have equal shares in the claim unless the contrary is proved to the satisfaction of the board.

    According to the rules, where an agent has a claim for one or more principals, the principal or principals are to be treated as having the claim, to the exclusion of the agent.

     

     

  • Osun pays N813m compensation

    Osun pays N813m compensation

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has paid N813 million as compensation to owners of properties  affected by  infrastructural development.

    Commissioner for Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Development Muyiwa Ige toldf the NUJ Correspondents Chapel in Oyo State at the weekend that arrangements had  been made for the payment of the N2billion balance.

    Among the property owners and affected traders who got the palliatives, according to the commissioner, are those around the Railway Station corridors as well as shop owners at Ajegunle and Ayetoro.

    Ige said: “We have paid over N813 million as compensation in the last 30 months inclusive of palliatives. Yes, we still have about N2billion to pay because of paucity of funds, but we have continued to engage the affected, the claimants to let them know the true position of things, we had a meeting with them a week and half ago. “

    The commissioner said a minimum of N100, 000 was given as palliative to the traders who were tenants in the affected buildings to enable them relocate “because the government believed that once they are affected, the businesses would affect their livelihood”.

    He said the beneficiaries include 295 shop occupiers and tenants at the Train Station corridor who were given N65million; 581 shop owners at Ayetoro who got N58.1million at N100,000 each;  and some settlers at the Airport area of the city.

  • NSITF, FRSC partner on employees’ compensation

    NSITF, FRSC partner on employees’ compensation

    The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) is partnering the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) on promoting workplace safety and protection for workers through the Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS).

    NSITF’s Managing Director Alhaji  Munir Abubakar, who made this known when he called on the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of FRSC, Osita Chidoka, where he explained that the fund is mandated under the scheme to pay compensations to all Nigerian workers who suffer workplace injuries, occupational diseases and deaths.

    While stating that its mandate covers both private and public sectors of the economy, Munir noted that collaboration between NSITF and FRSC is necessitated by the common goals of both bodies, which aim at safeguarding the safety of Nigerian workers with regards to occupational hazards.

    He said the NSITF wants greater collaboration on FRSC’s database especially on road crashes data in the country, which will help it verify employees making both genuine and false claims.

    Chidoka commended the compensation scheme, describing it as unique. He said the FRSC needs the ECS more than any other government agency, as its staff are accident prone.

    He promised to establish a liaison office with NSITF for closer collaboration on data sharing between the two. He also promised to avail the NSITF details of crashes the commission has captured.

  • Compensation list

    Nigeria’s 30-man provisional list is out. No changes. It is a list of loyalists, who dare not look into the coaches’ faces for fear of being dropped. The Super Eagles’ camp will be a cantonment of sort with everyone scared of the World Cup axe. Is this how others pick their best?

    But the victors in this battle to get into the Eagles’ provisional squad are Osaze Odemwingie and Joseph Yobo, both of who threw barbs at their coaches. Yobo and Osaze joined issues with the coaches, who swore not to list them for the World Cup. One only hopes that the fragile peace between the coaches and these two immutable stars doesn’t dovetail into fisticuffs when the final 23-man squad is named. We are watching. Osaze has told us he is bold. He won’t want to be used as a guinea-pig at the pre-World Cup camp. He is dreaming Brazil in the same way as Yobo, who has the century appearances for the Eagles as his lifetime ambition.

    The flipside to the invitation of Yobo and Osaze is the decision to exclude Ikechukwu Uche from a list that has Gabriel Rueben and several recuperating players. The coaches told us repeatedly Ike Uche is tactically undisciplined on the pitch. They also said that Ike Uche openly discredited the coaches’ tactics and that his comments caused bad blood amongst the players. Rather than pillory the coaches in the media, Ike Uche chose to face his club career. See what it has cost him? Sometimes, silence could be a sign of weakness because the coaches have no justification not inviting Ike Uche, given his club form with Villarreal FC in the Spanish La Liga. I admit the right to pick players is the coaches’.

    Perhaps, our coaches need to take a cue from the manner in which Chelsea’s manager Jose Mourinho handled the open criticism to his tactics by Belguim-born striker Edwin Hazard. Hazard, at a post-match interview after Athletico edged out Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League semifinals, described Mourinho’s tactics as “boring”. He said that Mourinho’s system made it impossible for Chelsea’s players to exhibit their skills.

    Mourinho was careful with his counter remarks, although he lambasted Hazard, describing him as a lazy player, who won’t give his 100 per cent to his team in matches where he should prove his mettle. Many reasoned that a battle line had been drawn between Mourinho and Hazard. It didn’t happen. The manager listed the Belgian against Norwich, because Mourinho wanted to win the game, although the Blues ended the game on a barren note.

    Ike Uche’s exclusion reverberated at the press session with Clemens Westerhof in Lagos. The Dutchman identified Ike Uche as the best Nigerian forward in Europe, pointing out that he is an intelligent guy he would have loved to work with during his time with the Eagles. Westerhof’s enthusiasm died when the audience told him that Ike Uche wasn’t listed among the favoured 30 players on the provisional list. One hopes that the Eagles don’t have goal-scoring problems at the Mundial.

    The inclusion of goalkeepers Daniel Akpeyi and Chigozie Agbim is bad exhibition of the game at the domestic scene. It explains clearly that our coaches don’t watch the Globacom Premier League matches live.

    For instance, I was in Warri Township Stadium to watch the Federations Cup finals and I saw Daniel Akpeyi sitting on the bench. Akpeyi lost his first team place to Okeimute Odah. This is not the first time Odah has benched Akpeyi, yet Akpeyi keeps making the Eagles’ list. The question is where did those who picked Akpeyi see him perform?

    Again, one is tempted to believe the story that the coaches took two goalkeepers for the Mexico friendly simply because the technical committee resisted the inclusion of goalkeeper Agbi. It leaves this writer with the conclusion that Agbim would be picked ahead of a bench-warming Akpeyi as the third goalkeeper. Our prayers will be that goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama should not be injured. We would be in big soup especially, if such an injury keeps Enyeama out of the next game(s). Austin Ejide is equally as efficient and exposed as Enyeama. But Ejide is injury prone. Not a few Nigerians would leave their seats for the bed, if they see Agbim warming up to replace either of the goalkeepers. This argument seems far-fetched. But the opposition can wilfully injure Enyeama, if he is their stumbling block to score goals. It happened to Nigeria against Italy, where the Italians ensured that they took out Daniel Amokachi and Emmanuel Amuneke. Once they succeeded, our USA’94 World Cup campaign was over.

    The Eagles defence has been the team’s pivot. They stuck together to give the midfielders and attackers the effrontery to surge forward during Nigeria’s matches. One really doesn’t know why the coaches opted to return Oshaniwa to the fold after his jittery display in the final game at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations which Nigeria won. Oshaniwa shouldn’t be in Nigeria’s final 23, if the coaches consider the Mundial as a serious business. One would have thought that the coaches would have considered one of the age-grade defenders, especially in the left back position where Elderson Echiejile hasn’t been playing for Monaco FC in France like his contemporaries in other Europe leagues.

    Nigerian coaches who would see Chinedu Obasi play so well for Schalke 04 in the German Bundesliga, yet invite Nnamdi Oduamadi for the World Cup campaign, even when he isn’t a regular for his Italia Serie B side. Only God knows why Obasi, who starred in Schalke’s game against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League won’t be in Brazil for the Mundial. Perhaps, he is “tactically undisciplined” as Ike Uche. Perhaps.

    It is true that there cannot be a perfect list, yet it is expedient that the coaches pick players who will do us proud than compensate loyalists who are either match rusty or recuperating from injuries. I insist that those who clinched the Africa Cup of Nations for us in South Africa have been adequately rewarded. My other problem with Nigerian coaches is this fixation even when the house is crumbling under the heads.

    One needs to remind our coaches that Emmanuel Emenike has been in-and-out of matches for his Turkish club. What this means is that Emenike is injury-prone. Looking at the substitutes for his position further raises the need for the Eagles crew to swallow their pride and invite Ike Uche and Chinedu Obasi. Many have celebrated the exclusion of Brown Ideye. Is Ideye not better than Gabriel Rueben, Babatunde Michael and Obinna Nsofor? Isn’t it clear that our list is meant to compensate loyalists of the coaches? Good luck to the coaches.

    Thank you Delta State FA

    Going to the old Bendel State sends nostalgic feelings through me. It reminds me of my cherished youthful days. So, when the opportunity comes, I grab it, knowing that I would always see my old folks.

    Last Wednesday, I got a call from Pinnick Amaju. Amaju seldom calls, so I knew it must be important. Amaju informed me of my nomination for the Football Media Excellence Award. He wanted to find out if I would make the oceremony. I immediately told him that I would be in Auchi for the Okpekpe 10-km Road Race, which was held last Saturday. I would be in Warri on Sunday for the ceremony.

    I have been going to Warri since 1972, so I knew my way there. I was however marveled at the reconstruction work around the city. I must praise the Delta State Governor Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan for this job, even though the traffic jam at Enerehen Junction remains. There is hope, however that it will vanish when the road is completed.

    Last Sunday afternoon, I saw former school mates I hadn’t seen in decades. Many had aged, with grey hair. Some told me they were grandfathers already. We cracked the jokes of old. A few of them have dropped their youthful days’ vices. Others haven’t quite done so. These formed the butt of teasing them throughout the game and late into the night in the hotel where I stayed.

    The list of awardees was rich and I consider it a privilege to be decorated on such a day with the greats of the beautiful game. I want to express my gratitude to the Delta State Football Federation and, indeed, the Delta State Sports Commission (DSSC) for this award, in spite of the fact that I come from Edo State. This award ranks next to the Olympic Games Torch relay race I ran with 8,000 sports greats in the world before the 2012 London Olympic Games.

    I dedicate this award to my late mother, Mrs. Abigail Isevbua Ojeikere, who incidentally shares the same birthday with me. She passed on June 27, 2004 in Philadelphia, United States. Once again, thank you Delta State. And like the Edos would say, Oba Khato Okpere, Ise.

  • D-G NYSC: I need compensation from NYSC

    D-G NYSC: I need compensation from NYSC

    I served as a National Youth Service Corps member in 2011.

    I am from Edo State. I was posted to Katsina State. My State Code Number was KT/IIA/5614.

    During my service year, our allowance was increased from N9,000 to N19,000. But I did not enjoy this increment fully because the NYSC failed to pay me for four months, including the month of my redeployment.

    While I was travelling up and down to get my money, I had a terrible accident. My parents spent a lot of money to take care of me in hospital.

    I need compensation from the NYSC to further take care of myself.

    Ijegbai Afeikhe,

    Edo State.

  • Associated Airline mulls payment of compensation to victims’ families

    Associated Airline mulls payment of compensation to victims’ families

    There are indications that Associated Airline, owners of the crashed chartered Embraer  120 plane marked 5NBJY, may soon commence payment of insurance claims to the victims’ families.

    The plane crashed over six months ago while conveying the body of former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Agagu, shortly after take-off from the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.

    The Nation  gathered that the payment is expected to pave way for the airline to resume flight operations in the country. Sources in NAICOM said this was the outcome of a meeting between the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) and the owners of Associated Airline.

    Sixteen of the 20 people on board the ill-fated plane, including the Ondo State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr. Deji Falae and MIC boss, died in the crash. There were seven survivors.

    Other passengers, who died in the crash, are Tunji Okusanya, Chijioke Duru, Kingsley Amaechi, Deji Afolabi, Mrs. A.O. Alabi, Daji Bernard, Deji Falae, Samson Hassan, Olatunji Okusanya, Capt. Yakubu; Flight officer Oyinlola; Engr. Soroh Ebiya; Flight dispatcher Ibrahim; Mr. Felix Latoya; Cabin attendant Owolabi, and Cabin attendant, Samson.

    The Montreal Convention of 1999 states that airlines wishing to operate on domestic route shall adopt the approved liability limits in line with the requirement of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) which states that the airline shall pay compensation in the case of death, or injury of passengers of $100, 000 per person, destruction, loss or delay of baggage shall be $1, 000 and destruction, loss, damage or delay of cargo shall be $20 per kilo.

    Although the first part of the compensation of $30, 000 is meant to be paid three months after the crash, in the case of Associated Airline, nothing has been heard from the airline seven months after the crash.

    When The Nation visited the  office of the airline at the local airport last week, a stern looking  worker declined comments on the matter, urging the reporter to see the Managing Director, Mr. Tunde Oremule whom he said was at the Head office in Toyin Street, Ikeja.

    Efforts to get the Chief Operating Officer, Alhaji Taiwo Raji, to respond to enquiries proved abortive as he did not respond to the text messages sent to his mobile phone.

    Contacted via a text message on the matter, Chief Press Secretary to the late Ondo State Governor, Mr. Yemi Olowolabi, wrote: “I will crosscheck whether they have started paying the claim and get back to you.”