NAICOM, FFS others move for public building policy enforcement
The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has initiated a Technical Committee that would drive the enforcement of public building insurance initiative across the country.
The committee, inaugurated by NAICOM’s Commissioner, Mohammed Kari, in Abuja, The Guardian learnt, is made up of representatives of the agency, the Federal Fire Service (FFS) from all the zones and the Nigeria Insurance Association (NIA), who will to work together to achieve a common goal in the sector.
The steering committee on the other hand is made up of the Commissioner for Insurance, the Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service and the Director-General of the NIA.
While the consumers are represented by the FFS, the NIA will supply the funds and NAICOM will be responsible for the disbursement of the funds.
Kari, who was represented by the Deputy Commissioner for Insurance, Technical, Thomas Sunday, said that it is the responsibility of the committee to advise the steering committee on how public building funds would be effectively and efficiently disbursed in the country.
He said that NAICOM, under the National Insurance Act 2003, had the responsibility of ensuring that public buildings and buildings under construction were insured.
“We have the responsibility to collect funds, monitoring and also disbursing the funds for the purpose of improving fire activities in Nigeria and 0.25 per cent of premium collected with respect to public buildings are supposed to be accumulated in the fire funds.
“But over time, these funds have not been forthcoming because the process for collection are not put in place. Therefore, the NAICOM in the spirit of transparency and all inclusive administration has decided to bring in those who know more about fire service into this activity,’’ he said.
The commissioner said that fire service activities were abysmal in many states of the federation, which was not supposed to be so.
On disbursement, Kari explained that the steering committee planned on disbursing the funds for the purpose of training of staff of the fire service both at the federal and state levels.
He said that a portion of the funds would be used to upgrade the activities of the academy of the federal fire service and refurbish/repair fire fighting trucks and equipment.
He said that some of the funds would be used for the purchase of vehicles for inspection, investigation and also for the purpose of publicity.
The commissioner said that about N78 million had already been accumulated in the funds, adding that a template had been given to the market that would ensure proper enforcement for collection of more funds.
“The amount has a potential of multiplying itself and unlike what we had, we have set a template by which this collection will be appropriately and adequately remitted into the commission.
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