LACON AND ONE WORLD INITIATIVE HOLD WORKSHOP ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIRD-PARTY INSURANCE IN NIGERIA.

The OSCAR Department of the Legal Aid Council in collaboration with One World Initiative for Sustainable Development, on Friday, 9^th February 2023 engaged stakeholders in the transportation sector on need to make vehicle third-party insurance work in the Nigeria. The Workshop was held in the Conference room of LACON Headquarters in Abuja.

The theme of the workshop was ‘ADMINISTRATION OF THIRD-PARTY MOTOR INSURANCE AND RIGHTS ABUSES ON NIGERIAN ROADS.’ In attendance were critical stakeholders in the transport sector such as the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), the Nigeria Police Force, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Hospital Management Board, and some insurance companies.

The President of One World Initiative for Sustainable Development, Mr Timothy Achanya in his remarks during the meeting said that his Organisation decided to step into the issue following the perceived sufferings Nigerians were encountering on the road daily.

He said that many people have asked, ‘Why is Third-Party Insurance Policy not working in the Nigeria? Why is it that people pay money and they are not getting value for what they paid for? Why are people were dying when they were not supposed to? Why are insurance companies collecting money from people and at the end of the day promises are not being kept?”

Mr. Achanya said that many Nigerians were yet to be abreast with the benefits embedded in the Third-Party Insurance Policy, adding that the NGO saw it as imperative and decided to work with LACON and call for the stakeholders meeting to address these issues.

He mentioned that the stakeholders meeting would come out with a lasting solution where the outcome would be used to sensitise Nigerians about knowing their rights about third-party insurance for vehicles, and other rights on the road.

According to him, after the sensitisation of the public, Nigerians will start demanding for their rights about vehicle third-party insurance and other abuses by law enforcement officers on Nigerian roads.

Mr Aliyu Abubakar, the Director-General of LACON, said that the decision to call for the meeting became necessary to find a lasting solution to problems associated with mandate on Nigerian roads as a lot of road accidents victims are dying, suffering injuries without help as a result of lack of knowledge about motor third-party insurance.

He added that people were issuing fake insurance papers, touts are taking over the roads and motor parks as a result of lack of knowledge about rights and knowledge about vehicle third-party insurance.

The Director-General said that all these issues constituted part of the big problems that needed to be tackled in the country and make the vehicle third-party insurance to work for the benefit of Nigerians.

He stressed the need for proper work coordination and synergy between all the stakeholders present and stated that “Legal Aid Council has a statutory responsibility of providing free legal assistance and representation, legal advice and alternative dispute resolutions to indigent Nigerians in conflict with the law to enhance access to justice.”

He added that “LACON has a department, OSCAR, which is wholly dedicated to helping victims of road accidents by facilitating the payment of compensation to innocent third parties permanently disabled via mediation process and Motor Accident Victims Insurance Compensation Scheme (MAVICS).

Mr Suleiman Ahmadu admitted that NAICOM had been doing its best to ensure compliance in terms of insurance policies.

Mr Akintunde Alli, a Deputy Corp Commandant, FRSC FCT Command, pledged that the command would continue to do its part to ensure that “sanity is put on Nigerian roads”.

OSCAR is a Department under Legal Aid Council (LAC) saddled with the responsibility of processing timely claims and compensation to road vehicle accident victims.                                                        

The major function of OSCAR is to process and facilitate claims and compensation for prompt payment to motor road accident victims.

Other functions of OSCAR include to:

• Create awareness of their existence and services
• Create awareness of right of compensation to the insured through third party insurance, comprehensive insurance, mediation, Negotiations with parties involved in road accidents and deceased victims can also access a form of compensation through the Federal Government social scheme known as MAVICS (Motor Accident Vehicle Insurance Compensation Scheme)
• OSCAR also provides information to the public on how to obtain genuine Insurance Policy and the consequences of driving a vehicle on Nigerian road without genuine Insurance policy.