- Pays N1.2m to deceased staff family
By James Emejo in Abuja
The Chief Executive, ULO Consultants Limited, Mr. Uche Okpuno has called on the government, particularly the National Assembly to promulgate a law to ensure that any working Nigerian is covered by insurance.
Speaking in Abuja while presenting a cheque of N1.2 million as benefit to Mr. Isede Williams, father of a deceased staff of the company, Wilson Kadiri, the ULO boss said personnel insurance cover should be made mandatory with appropriate sanctions for non-compliance.
He said: “You see, every life is valuable and I think government should make it mandatory that working personnel are covered by insurance.
“We have taken this initiative because we appreciate our staff, we appreciate the work they do for us and that’s why we’ve made it mandatory that once you are a staff of ULO, you are covered by insurance and maybe members of the National Assembly should promulgate a law where any working Nigerian is covered by insurance.”
According to him, “We cover our cars by insurance, we cover our houses by insurance: are you telling me that cars are more valuable than human beings?”
On the company’s decision to pay benefits to the family of the deceased staff, he explained that it’s an established policy of the organisation to provide cover for every staff.
He said: “First of all, it’s very painful when you lose a loved one. To pain extends also to his place of work: he’s our staff and so we have a company policy that all staff are insured.
“This is an avenue where we can reach out to those who sometimes have accidents even if they don’t die; some who are terminally ill-so that we can assist them to build a future.”
Continuing, he said: “The one you witnessed is a staff who worked in Asaba and he die in a car accident, not even on duty, because he had closed from work-but because he’s still our staff, the insurance for all staff of ULO are covered, and then we made a case for insurance to bear the responsibility.”
He said the company will further work with the deceased family to ensure that the money was wisely invested in their own interest.
He said: “With what they have in their hands, we would send our HR (human resource) to help them monitor how to invest it.
“I am sure they may have never seen that volume of amount before. We are looking at a staff who earns about N40,000 monthly and the family are given almost N1.3 million, so we would send our HR to monitor how they invest and guide them on how to invest and make maximum use of the money.”
However, responding to the company’s gesture, father of the deceased staff, Mr. Isede Williams told THISDAY: ”I didn’t expect the company will offer this support. I pray the company will continue to progress. I am very grateful and may God be with them.”
