NAICOM Staff May Declare Strike Over Alleged Promotion Exam Manipulation

An industrial crisis is looming at the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) following allegations of manipulation in the results of the 2024 promotion exercise, which was conducted on November 10 by the Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC).

NAICOM staff who participated in the exercise have queried the management on alleged deliberate manipulation of the results of the examination to favour particular persons said to be close to the management.

The aggrieved staff are said to be principally those in senior management and above.

In a petition addressed to the Commissioner for Insurance/Chief Executive Officer (CFI), Mr Oluwasegun Ayo Omosehin, a copy of which was made available to THE WHISTLER, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), NAICOM chapter, the union has demanded a comprehensive review of the examination to avert an industrial action by the staff of the commission.

The petition titled “Urgent Petition On Alleged Manipulation Of The 2024 Promotion Exercise Results, says, “The Union writes to formally express its deep concern over the widespread outcry among staff immediately after the SEC meeting last Friday regarding the recently concluded 2024 Promotion Exercise conducted by the Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC).

“We understand that the results of the exercise were submitted to the Commission approximately two (2) weeks ago, after which the Human Resources & Administration Department computed the final scores by incorporating staff APER scores.

“It has come to our attention, credibly and consistently, that information on the pass list leaked to staff, who became aware of their individual scores as well as those who successfully filled the vacancies advertised by management.

“However, we have it on equally credible authority that management was dissatisfied with some of the staff who legitimately clinched the available vacancies, ostensibly because their own preferred candidates were not favoured by the outcome of the merit-based process.

“This dissatisfaction, according to multiple internal sources, allegedly led to the manipulation of the final promotion results to reward a select few loyalists. These allegations are extremely grave and strike at the very foundation of transparency, fairness, and integrity for which NAICOM has always been known.”
The union gave NAICOM management a list of demands to be met to stop the staff from declaring a strike action.

They include setting up an Investigative Committee to undertake a comprehensive review of all components of the promotion process, including vetting all scripts, presentation scores, original grading sheets from all examiners and assessors for the interview and immediate suspension of any plan to publish the promotion results.

The union also demanded that the committee must be given immediate access to all materials, where two (2) or more staff contested for each vacancy.

Giving a notice of industrial action, the union states, “We must state unambiguously that if management fails to comply with the above demands, the union will have no option but to shut down all operations of NAICOM until transparency and fairness are restored.”

The petition, signed by Ibrahim Mustapha and Nwadike Chidibere, chairman and secretary of the union, respectively, was also copied to the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity.

In the same vein, the union has written a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2011 request to FITC, demanding access to all examination and assessment documents used in the exercise.

Reacting, Halil Abba, the spokesperson of NAICOM, accused the union of attempting to pre-empt the process.

In a WhatsApp message to dismiss the allegation of result manipulation, Abba said, “The allegations being made are purely based on rumours and hearsay about a process that is ongoing, and no official communication has been made as to its conclusion.”

He said the management of the commission maintained the highest standards of integrity and transparency in the ongoing promotion exercise and that it follows a defined process enshrined in the Staff Conditions of Service and other relevant extant rules.

“The ongoing exercise has adhered strictly to these provisions, and please note that the process is yet to be concluded, but be assured that the commission is committed to fairness and meritocracy,” he stated.