NIBSS SACK SAGA: THE REAL TRUTH

A funny meme advises people who intend to make everyone happy to rather sell ice creams than be the leader of any human group. And, paraphrasing Swapnil Thakur, despite the envy of colleagues, the person occupying a managerial position is probably the most hated human being around. This is the current situation of the management and staff of the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc. (NIBSS). Suffice it to say that if the current MD/CEO of NIBSS, Mr Premier Oiwoh, was a facebook status, he no doubt would have been the most ‘unliked’ thing on the platform –from some of his staff members’ point of view.
To put it straight, some employees –well, ex-employees— of the NIBSS were recently relieved of their duties by the Executive Committee headed by Oiwoh. The embattled employees have are making public accusations against the MD, of unlawful sack and denial of emoluments. As is usually the case whenever issues like this arise, it is difficult to tell who is ‘truthing’ from who is making efforts to make his/her side of the story a truth. Emotions are whipped up and thrown in the mix and the onlookers have to make a choice of who is to enjoy their pity. In the end, different stories and sub-stories are told, with one party painted as the demon or the angel, depending on who is telling the story. So, between Oiwoh and the disengaged staff, who is wrong? How did it all begin?

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Mr Premier Oiwoh was appointed the MD/CEO in May 2019. Of course, he was given a job to do: carry out a holistic reorganization of the NIBSS and through it, revolutionize the Nigerian payment system. Tasks as this require serious rejigging and review of operational processes and reassessing the company’s resources on how best to meet up with the given assignment. According to Oiwoh, in his response letter to the CBN, ‘Delivering this mandate required not just world-class infrastructure but also competent and motivated Human Resources. Our analysis however revealed that available Human Resources at the Company was not fit for purpose as a number of the employees had a track record of poor performance and low productivity.’
Here then is where the whole problem started: some members of staff must be laid off because they were not skilled enough to tackle the next-level challenges. They would recruit more competent workers afterwards. One way or the other then, some persons will not be happy with the development because, hello, we are talking about sacking here. One can only imagine the dilemma Oiwoh and his executive team found themselves in, in deciding whom to disengage since it was inevitable.
A Dale Carnegie’s quote says, ‘when dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic but creatures of emption. Probably aware of this and foreseeing the emotional reaction that would come from the would-be-affected staff, the executive committee did everything to be very transparent in the process so that no one would suspect them of favoritism and, more importantly, to ensure that the selection process actually affected the right (or wrong) people.
Consequently, an independent audit team carried out the human resources appraisal and from the outcome, some of the employees who fell on the wrong side decided to quit through resignation. Other, numbering 23, who did not resign were officially briefed on the development; they were told the reason why it had to be done. On the 2nd of August, their appointments and access to the NIBSS portal were terminated.
Knowing full well that this was an unfortunate thing for the disengaged staff, Oiwoh and his team resolved to send them off with palliatives. It must also be made clear that the whole process was done in line with the NIBSS Human Resource policies and provisions of Nigerian Labor laws.

How the disengaged staff were paid off.

They were paid certain amounts since there was not enough time for a longer notice period as enshrined in the Company’s Human Resource policy (Article 3.7.1) which provides that either party (i.e. employee and employer) may determine the employment upon giving requisite notices (2 months’ notice for Senior Management and 1 month notice for Middle level management and below) or by making salary payments/refunds in lieu of notice.
Given that the employment contract of the employees were being terminated, the Company exercised the option of making salary payment in lieu of notice as required by Labour laws, the Human Resource Policy and the employment contracts of the exited staff.

Their Upfront Allowances were deducted. It should be stated clearly that the NIBSS, following industry practice makes advances to its middle level and senior management in form of upfront allowance as follows: 4 years furniture allowance, 1 year housing allowance, vacation allowance, 3 years warm clothing allowance. Since they were being disengaged, the practice is that the unearned part of the upfront allowances is recouped.
They were given their gratuity payments with the accrued gains totaling N594,000,000.00 (Five hundred and ninety four million Naira Only) for the 23 exited staff put together.
Some company assets were left with the ex-Staff. The company’s official cars used by it’s the ex-Management staff from manager grade and above, upon retirement. But, to further alleviate the ex-staff’s pain, the assets were released to them as if they were retiring.

The terminated staff’s access to the National Health Insurance Programme was retained until the current period covered by the premium expired. However, they were encouraged to make private arrangements for their health insurance coverage upon expiration of the period covered by the NIBSS premium.
If the management took such care to ensure the ex-staff members were not sent away empty-handed, is it not a shocker then, when the same 23 persons suddenly claimed to have been unlawfully disengaged, asking for Mr Oiwoh’s suspension and immediate probe of his activities in NIBSS.
A part of their petition to the Speaker of the House of Representatives reads:
It is pertinent to add… that we were neither under any disciplinary action for misconducts nor have [sic] any queries/warnings to warrant this sort of forced and unplanned ‘dismissal’. Amongst the employees so cruelly ‘exited’ are people who are pioneer members of the company who have devoted their lives in years and decades to the service of the company… humiliated out of office like common criminals.

The letter also claimed that they were never briefed of any disengagement and ends with a cry for justice.
However, it is surprising that among their listed demands, the ex-staff members did not ask for what should be the most important thing: reinstatement. Ordinarily, if they were sent away wrongfully, the ‘justice’ to be done would simply be an immediate reinstatement. Rather, they are asking for more benefits and the head of Oiwoh.
While it is left for the relevant authorities to decide what becomes of the matter, it is appropriate that everyone knows exactly what transpired within the NIBSS and why the 23 disengaged staff members are writing the House of Reps for justice.