Court Restrains NAICOM from Halting Guinea Insurance Underwriting Businesses
Ebere Nwoji
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has given an order restraining the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) from suspending Guinea Insurance Plc from writing new businesses.
The court, in a ruling by 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.
“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,” the court said.
It held that all the parties should maintain status quo, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice before the court.
Some of the issues according to NAICOM includes the company’s failure to appoint a substantive Managing Director; secure reinsurance treaty, amongst others.
The underwriting firm however denied the purported suspension in a statement it released recently. It stated that its attention was drawn to various newspaper publications wherein, it was expressly reported that Guinea Insurance Plc had been suspended by NAICOM from writing new businesses.
“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 compelling stand for a rebuttal as the Board of Guinea Insurance Plc had on 15th February 2018 appointed Babatunde Oshadiya as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the proposal for his appointment was submitted to NAICOM for approval.
“The said notification captioned “Guinea Insurance appoints Oshadiya MD/CEO” was uploaded on Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) portal and also published in various Nigerian media.”
Meanwhile, on the reinsurance treaty, the firm stated, “there is available and incontrovertible evidence showing that Guinea Insurance Plc has a treaty backup for 2019 packaged by its Lead Reinsurance Broker – Glanvill Enthoven Reinsurance Brokers Limited.
“On 17th December 2018, Glanvill Enthoven Reinsurance Brokers Limited sent the Guinea Insurance Plc 2019 Reinsurance Treaty Cover Notes to the Company; which documents have been duly delivered alongside all contracting signed slips as evident in the acknowledgement letter stamped as “received” by NAICOM on 18th December 2018.
“The board and management of Guinea Insurance Plc is currently engaging NAICOM with a view to resolving all attendant issues to the said publication within the shortest possible time.
“We are an upwardly mobile company, peopled with skilled professionals, our strength is made manifest in our passion for high standards; the singleminded determination to emerge a world class enterprise and our conscious obligation to meet regulatory deadlines,” it said.