Court restrains NAICOM from halting firm’s business
THigh Court sitting in Abuja has given an order, restraining the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) from executing its suspension on Guinea Insurance Plc.
The court, in a ruling by Hon. Justice I. E. Ekwo granted an order in a suit that was filed by Guinea Insurance Plc with suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/151/2019 against the Commission on February 6, 2019, which barred it from writing new businesses.
The judgement reads: “An order of mandatory injunction restraining the defendant, whether by itself, or assigns, successor-in- title, personal representative, agents or privies or any other person or body of persons( however described) acting for it or at its instance or behest, from enforcing or taking any steps whatsoever, including, without limitation, writing letters, issuing directives and/ or instructions of the plaintiff or any other person or entity; or taking out publications or any other acts; with intent , ( or, in respect of such acts having) the likelihood or potential, to halt, stop, disrupt, frustrate or defeat; or in any way other way whatsoever, undermine or negatively impact the operations and / or business of the plaintiff; for any reasons whatsoever arising from, connected to, based upon or touching or concerning the compliance with the directives contained in the defendant ‘ a letter of 28th January, 2019 pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice”.
It held that all the parties should maintain the status quo, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice before the court and adjourned to February 18, 2019, for motion on notice.
It was gathered that NAICOM on January 28, 2019 suspended the company from underwriting new businesses but maintain the existing businesses in its portfolio until some issues are resolved by the company.
Some of the issues according to NAICOM includes its failure to appoint a substantive Managing Director; secure reinsurance treaty amongst others.
The underwriting company denied the purported suspension in a statement it released recently that its attention has been drawn to various newspaper publications wherein, it was expressly reported that Guinea Insurance Plc has been suspended by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) from writing new businesses on Thursday , January 31, 2019.
“On the basis of this, we are constrained as a company, to set the record straight by informing the general public, business associates, shareholders, prospective investors and policyholders that the report posits com - pelling stand for a rebuttal as the board of Guinea Insurance Plc had on 15th February, 2018, appointed Babatunde Oshadiy a as Managing Director/chief Executive Officer of the Company and the proposal for his appointment was submitted to NAICOM for approval. ,