The Federal Government has stated its intention to strengthen the Group Life Assurance Scheme for its workers in order to achieve the desired objectives.
A statement from the Director, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Tope Ajakaiye, quoted the Head of Service, Alhaji Goni Aji, as saying this when he declared a three-day seminar open for desk officers of the scheme from all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government in Minna, Niger State, last week.
Aji, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Service Policies and Strategies Office, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, said some lapses observed in the processing and settlement of claims as well as improper documentation, which prevented effective and efficient implementation at the inception of the scheme in 2008, had been addressed.
He said the seminar was part of efforts to address other observed lapses and strengthen the scheme.
The HOS explained that at inception, the implementation of the scheme was centralised and administered through his office; but since 2010, it had been partially decentralised, making the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to appoint underwriters and brokers, and assign them to interface directly with the individual MDAs for processing and settlement of claims.
He urged participants to utilise the opportunity of the seminar to acquire the knowledge that would enhance their performance in achieving the mandate as desk officers for the scheme in the MDAs.
The Group Life Assurance Scheme is a statutory provision of Section 9(3) of the Pension Reform Act, 2004, which requires that all employers with not less than five employees must maintain life assurance policy in favour of each employee for a minimum of three times of the employee’s annual emolument.
The scheme provides that in the event of the death of any serving officer, his next of kin will be given a relief three times the annual total emolument of the deceased, in addition to the normal entitlement of the deceased officer after service.
