By Henry Uche
Worried by incessant constructing collapse within the nation, insurance consultants have advocated the insurance of all public buildings within the nation to cushion the results of such tragedies on victims and survivors.
Consequently, the Director General /CEO of the Lagos State Safety Commission, Lanre Mojola, at a stakeholders assembly, to discover the digital implementation and the enforcement of the obligatory insurance Act on public buildings in Lagos State, averred that the extent of harm and lack of life ensuing from constructing collapse was changing into insufferable.
The discussion board organised by the Safety Commission along side the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) was aimed toward altering the structure of danger administration and security regulation on public buildings within the state. He mentioned it was additionally focused at looking for methods to full implementation of the Occupiers Liability Insurance in any other case generally known as Insurance of Public Buildings within the state.
The DG mentioned, “Over the years, numerous accidents and incidents such as natural disasters, building collapses, fires, explosions have resulted in injuries, permanent disability, loss of lives and property without any recompense to those affected and or their loved ones. A recent case in point was the OPIC Plaza gas explosion in Ikeja with its attendant loss of lives and property,”
He revealed that in different to guard Nigerians and their companies from vagaries of the unlucky occasions and incidents resulting in damage, property injury or dying, the Federal Government by way of numerous Acts of parliament have through the years promulgated legal guidelines together with making seven (7) Insurance Policies obligatory throughout the Federation.
However, attributable to a number of components, a few of these Compulsory Insurances Laws haven’t been absolutely applied, and as such, when harmful occurrences and disasters occur, the citizenry look as much as the federal government for compensation. He reaffirmed that it was the dedication of the current administration of Lagos State to curb the ugly pattern. Thus, the Compulsory Insurance Act in respect of present public buildings should quickly see the sunshine of the day.
“As the financial capital of Nigeria and certainly the sixth-largest financial system in Africa, Lagos State has a superb inventory of public buildings similar to colleges, places of work, hospitals, lodges, occasions facilities, eating places, cafes, lounges, bars, supermarkets, buying malls, cinemas amongst others, subsequently, we will not fold our arms and watch our lives and property getting misplaced and broken, we should do the needful and by no means compromise.
“Section 65 of the Insurance Act 2003 stipulates that every one public buildings shall be adequately insured ostensibly to cushion the influence and cut back the burden and liabilities on property house owners/authorities.
He known as on stakeholders and professionals in the true property worth chain to help the initiative in different to attain the noble aims for which the Compulsory Insurance Act on Public Buildings was enacted, by sharing concepts and experiences on how they may collectively notice its full implementation in Lagos State.
The motion plan for the Lagos State Digital Compulsory Insurance Project (LSDCIP) are: Digitalise the acquisition of occupier’s legal responsibility insurance in Lagos State; creating consciousness about advantages accruable from making obligatory occupiers legal responsibility constructing insurance our tradition in Lagos State and its enforcement; the domestication of each regulation handed by Federal Government by the varied states and implement them, and sustenance of the obligatory occupiers’ legal responsibility constructing insurance tradition in Lagos State.
“We welcome ideas from experts, we all need to be on the same page on how to ensure that public buildings in Lagos are safe, insured and better protected,” he added.