Legal Aid Council and administration of Third-Party motor insurance

By Amaka Agbaih

It was a brain storming session at the conference hall of Legal Aid Council recently during a stakeholders meeting on the administration of third-party motor insurance and rights Abuses on our roads.

The meeting was organized by one world initiative for sustainable development in collaboration with the Legal Aid Council. The Director General of Legal Aid Council Aliyu Bagudu Abubakar in his opening speech emphasized and stated that the essence of the meeting is to achieve collaborative frame work between different government agencies, insurance companies and Non- government organizations (NGOs) to bring the best services to the teaming population of Nigerians following international best practices.

This meeting is therefore urgent because LACON needs to find lasting solution to problems associated with her mandate on the road. Accident victims need help but there are bottlenecks which need to be removed. It might interest you to know that since LACON acquired Oscar in 2007 about #60, Million Naira has been paid to victims of accident as claims by various insurance companies through the efforts of Legal Aid Council so if the challenges are tackled the common man on the street will be in the picture of what insurance cover is all about and thereby benefit more.

In continuation, the president of one world Mr. Timothy Achana in his opening remark stated that the main reason for the meeting was to deliberate and chat the way forward to the various challenges the masses face as touching to insurance claims and payments. The project is a six (6) year intervention on the administration of third- party insurance. Why is it not working and why are people collecting money and nothing is seen. Well, I believe that there will be light at the end of the tunnel, he said.

The stakeholders that were present at the meeting include NAICON, Nigeria Police Force FCT, Health and Human services secretariat, National Insurance Commission, Human Right Radio (Brekete Family) FRSC, VIO, Civil Defence etc.

The stakeholders deliberations centered on challenges around compliance, claims/payments Right Abuses by relevant state Actors: Hospital insurance companies, Area boys –Touts and issuance of fake insurance certificates After the brain storming session, DG LACON suggested that a committee should be set up to find out the problems and challenges with various stakeholders in the bid to finding lasting solutions to the problems that needs to be solved. On this note, a six (6) man committee was set up to address / tackle the issues relating to compliance, claims, Right abuses and other challenges as discussed. They are to liaise with the relevant stakeholders and dialogue on the need for National sensitization and awareness campaign to educate the end users publics on the needs for third party insurance lover and mostly important on why they should pay as high as #5,000 as against #5,000 with emphasis on the benefits.

Nigerians have negative attitude toward taking insurance cover why, because the insurance industries have loopholes while NIACOM that supposed to be the watchdog to the industry are not living up to expectations. Recall that the Legal Aid Council has a unit which is wholly dedicated to helping victim’s road accident by facilitating the payment of compensation to innocent third parties permanently disabled or relatives of victims who are killed by insured drivers in hit and run accidents cases. VIO mediation process and motor accident victims insurance compensation scheme (MARVIS). Also the unit headed by Bar. Mrs. Latifat Salau, a Director assists accident victims to file claims with insurance companies and facilitate payment where the valid insurance covers among other functions. Recall that Legal Aid Council remains the official voice of the indigent citizens of Nigeria.