NAICOM outlines procedures for customers’ complain

NAICOM outlines procedures for customers’ complain

Chuks Udo Okonta

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has urged insuring public to forward their misgivings to its complaint bureau if their claims are not settled within three months.

This was contained in a secular published on the commission’s website. NAICOM pledged to adhere to all complaints to ensure that the public get the benefit of insurance.

It said: “Visit or write the Bureau, to explain your complaint within three months of your failure to reach settlement with the insurer etc.  The letter should indicate why you think, you have been unfairly treated, explaining your case in detail.

“The Bureau, will acknowledge receipt of your complaint.  Thereafter, the Committee will study the complaint and all relevant papers, and enter into correspondence with the insurer or intermediary.  It may be necessary for the Bureau to seek clarification from the complainant.

“Depending on the issues, the Bureau may invite the parties to a hearing, whereby the two sides, are brought together for resolution of the dispute.

“The Committee will prepare a report to the Commissioner for Insurance with a brief on the facts and findings, indicating the approach to settling the disputes from time to time as necessary.

“Where appropriate the provisions of both the National Insurance Commission Act and Insurance Act of 1997 may be evoked against the insurer or intermediary as the case may be. The Bureau will make its decision known to you and the insurance company/intermediary.”

It noted that the bureau will ensure a fair judgment and that an insured who is not satisfied with the judgment can opt for a legal action.

“You can accept or reject the decision.  If you reject the decision and want to take legal action, your legal rights will not have been prejudiced by the decision of the bureau. If any of the parties is not satisfied with the decision of the Bureau, he/she is free to seek redress in a court of law,” it added.

The Commissioner for Insurance, Mr Fola Daniel, said NAICOM views failure or undue delay of claims settlement as an aberration.

He said individuals, corporate bodies or government establishments that have genuine unsettled claims against any insurance company are advised to lay the complaint to NAICOM.

"The consumer protection unit of the commission has been properly positioned to handle such complaints with dispatch. Any defaulting company will be required to pay such claims. Non payment of genuine claims is enough ground to suspend or cancel the operational certificate of a registered insurance company.

"This is why NAICOM advises policy holders to ensure that they obtain their policies from NAICOM-registered insurance companies only. A policy obtained from a fake insurance institution has no liability attached no compensation can be received if such complaints are made to the commission," Fola added.

He maintained that the commission considers prompt claims settlement as the best awareness campaign tool.

His words: "For us at NAICOM, the greatest awareness campaign an insurance company can embark upon is prompt settlement of claims. When an insurance company pays claims promptly, then a lot of Nigerians would begin to have more confidence and people would buy more insurance products.

"Right now, most insurance products are not bought; people refrain from these products owing to the attitude of most insurers. It is said that insurance companies that are dissuading people. But the time, we increase the confidence level of Nigerians; insurance would become a product that Nigerians would buy just as we buy newspapers and clothing materials. This is our dream; we expect that once we increase insurance awareness, people would want to buy insurance."