A former Head of Business Development at Prestige Assurance Plc, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Edet, has petitioned the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, alleging wrongful termination of her employment, discriminatory treatment, workplace harassment, and corporate governance breaches by the insurance company.
In the petition dated July 20, 2026, and addressed to the Speaker through Okey-Joe Onuakalusi, Esq., Edet asked the House to investigate the circumstances surrounding the termination of her appointment and direct the company to grant her what she described as equitable disengagement benefits.
Edet, whose employment was terminated on April 24, 2026, described the dismissal as “wrongful, premature and procedurally defective,” alleging that she was denied severance benefits despite years of service and outstanding performance.
According to her, she joined Prestige Assurance in July 2021 as a management staff member with an annual business target of about ₦9 billion. She claimed that through business development initiatives and market expansion, she increased her portfolio to approximately ₦25 billion by the end of the 2025 financial year.
She further stated that the company had acknowledged her performance in a confirmation letter dated October 27, 2022, which commended her professionalism and commitment to the company’s growth.
The petitioner, however, alleged that despite her performance, she was dismissed on allegations of lateness and dereliction of duty, claims she described as false and inconsistent with the operational realities of the insurance industry.
She argued that marketing executives in the sector often engage clients and insurance brokers outside the office before official resumption time, a practice she said contributed significantly to the growth of her portfolio.
Edet alleged that her dismissal was motivated by discrimination and personal hostility rather than poor performance or misconduct.
She also accused the company of applying different standards in the disengagement of management staff.
According to her, previous executives who left the company under similar or less compelling circumstances received generous severance packages, including several months’ salary, gratuity and other benefits approved by the board.
She cited the cases of a former Company Secretary, Mr. Odulana, Mr. Samson Omoware of the underwriting department, and another staff member identified as Mr. Awofuye, whom she claimed were accorded more favourable exit terms than she received.
The former executive further alleged that the company denied her fair hearing before terminating her appointment.
She claimed she was never issued a formal query, invited to any disciplinary panel, informed of allegations against her in writing, or given an opportunity to defend herself before the termination letter was issued.
Edet also alleged that Prestige Assurance operates without a duly approved Human Capital Policy Manual governing disciplinary procedures for management staff, describing the situation as a serious corporate governance concern.
She accused the company’s management of workplace bullying, intimidation, abuse of executive authority and actions inconsistent with corporate governance standards applicable to regulated financial institutions.
Among other requests, Edet urged the House of Representatives to investigate the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Prestige Assurance over the allegations, direct the company to grant her disengagement benefits comparable to those previously approved for other executives, sanction the company for alleged discriminatory labour practices, and compel it to release her official vehicle, which she claimed was due to become her property under company policy.
She is also seeking payment of two years’ salary amounting to ₦64 million, in addition to other benefits she said are due to her.
The petition stated that she remains willing to provide additional documentary evidence to support her claims.
Prestige Assurance Plc had not responded to the allegations contained in the petition as of the time of filing this report. The allegations remain those of the petitioner and have not been independently verified.
