Insurance Commission cushions police in law enforcement

The National Insurance Commission on Friday donated a cheque for GH¢100,000 to the Ghana Police Service to boost the service’s effort at enforcing law and order.

The Commission further pledged to support the service on monthly basis with GH¢25,000.00 to execute professional duties, promising to shore up the amount based on performance level.

Receiving the cheque, Mr Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, Inspector General of Police (IGP), said: “We find this initiative very innovative…what you have done redefines companies’ and organisations’ interest in the development of our nation.”

He urged corporate institutions and organisations to emulate the commission’s commitment and willingness to lessen the resource constraints confronting the service to improve service delivery.

Ms Lydia Lariba Bawa, Commissioner of Insurance, presenting the cheque, raised concerns about the seeming lack of enforcement of certain laws.

The concerns largely bordered on uninsured vehicles plying the roads, motokings carrying passengers instead of goods, use of wrong or lack of driving licenses and uninsured commercial buildings.

According to Ms Bawa, a survey result indicated that about 90 per cent of motor cycles and motorbikes on the roads were either “unregistered, uninsured or both.”

She said in spite of banning commercial motorcycling, popularly called okada, it was still in operation posing danger to occupants.

“Without insurance and I mean the appropriate insurance, the third party liability is not covered,” she said.

She said the insurance companies relied very much on police report for the settlement of most claims; motor, theft, burglary and fire, however, “obtaining a police report for the purposes of insurance is a major headache for many claimants pursing insurance claims.”

Ms Bawa called on the police administration to rationalise the processes to ensure that the reports were issued swiftly, and also enforce the compulsory fire insurance as contained in the Insurance Act 2006 (Act 724).