Staff members of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigeria’s capital market regulator, on Thursday, staged protest marches at the commission’s headquarters over unpaid salaries, poor administration and the refusal to address their demands.
The staff expressed displeasure over issues ranging from delay in the conduct of promotion exercise, as well as appointment of directors in the commission.
They also alleged that the management has been running an exclusive administration without care for welfare of the larger number if the staff members.
“The management has abandoned us in the name of no money. This is unbecoming of a management that promised to make welfare of the staff a priority. They have failed us,” a principal member of the staff union who craved anonymity said.
The protesting workers blocked the main entrance to the commission, making it impossible for management members and other people on appointment to have access to the premises.
In reaction to the union’s demands, management of the commission, through a statement by Mr Ibrahim Boyi, the commissioner in charge of corporate services, assured them of its commitment to ensure industrial peace and harmony in the commission.
Boyi assured the staff of Management’s readiness to dialogue with the staff in a bid to ensuring industrial harmony in the Commission.
“The Board of the Commission is currently meeting to approve the appointment of qualified senior staff as directors and we believe this process will be concluded very soon,” he said.
He assured that the Management has listened to the demands of the staff and as a responsive Team, they will do everything within their capabilities to ensure that all grievances are promptly addressed.
“We are already in discussions with the staff representatives as we speak, and we hope that at the end of today we will come out with agreements that would be beneficial to all and help to ensure peace and industrial harmony in the SEC,” he added.
