NAICOM goes tough with insurance companies over unpaid claims

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) on Friday said it would sack managing directors of insurance companies that refused to settle indisputable insurance claims.

NAICOM spokesman, Rasaaq Salami, said in a statement that the Commissioner for Insurance (CFI), Alhaji Muhammed Kari, announced the sanction at the on-going 2017 Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) Professional Forum in Abeokuta.

The statement quoted Kari as saying that “the commission had received various requests from claimants to use companies statutory deposits to settle discharged claims, as stated in the law.

“We are however alarmed by the incessant complains of failure of insurance companies to settle genuine claims and discharge claims to policy holders.

“These claims and balances has risen to an unacceptable level where again we are now required to withdraw the self-regulation option given operators to total enforcement of the law.

“The commission is now also looking at the operations of intermediaries that hold back clients and companies money, collude to steal or corruptly operate,

“Such actions being criminal would be forwarded to the appropriate law enforcement agencies, ’’ Kari said

Earlier at the event, Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, called on operators to develop products that Nigerians needed.

Amosun urged the insurers to use their operations to create wealth and collaborate with the government on infrastructural development.

He further urged them to collaborate with higher institutions to boost insurance knowledge, while assuring that his administration would continue to provide conductive environment for insurance to thrive in the state.

The statement said that the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, also at the occasion, urged the operators to play according to rules.

“The insurers should not take up businesses and go about praying that claims should not come,” the statement quoted the monarch as saying.