Fire Service vows to inspect insurance certificate for public buildings

THE Federal Fire Service has said it will soon commence inspection of public buildings on compliance with its policy on public building insurance.

Controller-General of the Service, Mr Joseph Anebi, made this known at a meeting with the National Insurance Commission and the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) in Abuja.

He said the agency was making effort towards ensuring that the enormous losses incurred as a result of lack of insurance in the events of fire accidents at public buildings were reduced.

Anebi, said he was concerned over attitude to insurance particularly on public buildings, decrying the huge loss of lives and property in the country.

“We are all aware of the havoc that fire has caused in this nation and most of the affected buildings were not insured.

“Where laws exist and nothing is done to enforce them, then you cannot hold people responsible. We need full compliance, especially from the government. This will give us relief because the government is not left out,” he said.

He said that insurance industry and Nigeria Fire Service were stakeholders of risk management while noting that sections 48 and 89 of the national fire code gave the Service the power to carry out insurance inspection and request for insurance certificate from public property owners.

He said the Service was ready to enforce its executive power requesting to see insurance papers for public buildings. “We want to see how we can carry out the executive aspect of it,” he stated.

Commissioner for Insurance, Alhaji Mohammed Kari, said that insurance industry was not happy to see buildings up in flames most especially when they had no insurance policy to enable them get compensation.

“We can minimise the effect of those fire incidents such that economic activities can continue.”

According to Kari, section 65 (4) of the Insurance Act, 2003, provides that the insurance industry, through the regulator, supports the activities of Fire Service.

“This is supposed to be done through the regulator’s contribution of part of the insurance premium that was paid to fire underwriters,” he said.