Dipo Olowookere
By Dipo Olowookere
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced the reopening of its head office in Abuja following the easing of lockdown in the city as well as in Lagos and Ogun States.
A statement issued on Monday by the Head of Corporate Communication at SEC, Mrs Efe Ebelo, disclosed that the office will be opened to members of the public between 10am and 1pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
However, she said due to the need to protect its stakeholders and members of staff, the commission issued some guidelines among which is that stakeholders are strongly advised to use the various e-channels of the agency to communicate and interact with the commission and that physical visits should only be considered as a last resort.
Other guidelines issued by the SEC are that all meetings and events will be convened electronically until further notice.
“All filings shall continue to be received electronically; all visitors will be subjected to temperature checks and hand sanitization before gaining access to the commission’s building; and also, visitors are expected to wear facemasks and abide by social distancing rules while present in the commission’s facility,” the spokesperson said.
The commission further stated that personal visits are not allowed at this time adding that visitors would be expected to state their purpose and identify themselves at the entrance and strongly recommends that appointments are booked in advance of physical visits.
The SEC, therefore, advised all capital market stakeholders to continue to adhere to the safety guidelines issued by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other relevant agencies on COVID-19, expressing confidence that “together, we will overcome this pandemic.”
Meanwhile, SEC has reminded regulated entities in the capital market to continue to make adequate disclosures on the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses.
In a circular issued yesterday, the agency said, “While we continue to monitor the evolvement of the pandemic and its impact on the capital market, all regulated entities are reminded to make adequate disclosures and report on how the pandemic is impacting operations and discharge of services to investors and other stakeholders.”
“We also wish to assure investors that while efforts are on-going to ensure that capital market services remain accessible, the Commission’s priority is the protection of investors.
“Kindly contact us through [email protected] for complaints and enquiries,” it added.
