Business
Insurance Firm Settles N1.2bn Claims
The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) last Saturday said N1.2 billion claims were settled through the intervention of its Complaint Bureau in 2012.
In a statement issued in Lagos and signed Director, Corporate Affairs, by Mr Lucky Fiakpa, the Commission said the amount was paid on the 52 cases handled by the Bureau.
The statement said the complaints included Motor, Marine and Life insurances, Bond Issues and Pension matters.
“The complaints were received from individual policyholders, beneficiaries and government agencies, SERVICOM, Legal Aid Council and Public Complaints Commission.
“This is heart-warming and a message to policyholders that they now have a listening ear in NAICOM,” it said.
The statement said that in 2012, the Complaints Bureau handled 349 cases out of which 86 were fresh complaints.
It said the Complaints Bureau also held nine adjudication meetings, while majority of the disputes resolved were through correspondences.
The statement said about 85 per cent of the insurance institutions responded to queries or directives issued by the Commission for claims settlement.
It said the increase in the number of complaints received in 2012 followed the various publicity campaigns embarked upon by the Commission.
“This has made members of the public and policyholders to be more informed of the Commission’s window of dispute resolution, which is not only effective but timely,” it said.
According to the statement, the Complaints Bureau discharges its responsibilities either through correspondences with the insurance companies involved or through adjudication.
The statement said the response and cooperation of insurance companies involved in any dispute with policyholders had been encouraging.
The Complaints Bureau is the unit solely responsible for receiving and processing complaints against insurance companies for non-settlement of claims.