REGISTERED INSURANCE BROKERS DECRIES BIDDING FEES

…As Senator Lau calls for amendment of procurement act

 

By Raphael Ekpang

The 2nd Vice-President, Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, Dr. (Mrs) Bola Onigbogi has advocated for the exclusion of registered insurance brokers from bidding fees.

She made this known at the public hearing of Senate committee on procurement, seeking to amend Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007 held in Abuja.

According to her, subjecting insurance brokers to bidding process was inappropriate, adding that insurance brokers are professionals and not contractors.

“I want to reiterate that insurance brokers are professionals, we offer services to our clients. We are not contractors or business men that is the reason we should be treated as such.

“We should not be asked to pay bidding fees, because we also operate like any other profession such as; the doctors, lawyers, architects who are exempted from bidding process” Onigbogi said.

She explained that insurance brokers are professionals, who offer essential service to clients in the area of technical expertise.

According to Onigbogi, “We are working hard on creating awareness because over time we realize that insurance is always the last on the priority list of Nigerians.

“We are trying as much as possible to make Nigerians realize the importance of insurance. We are making effort to create more awareness in that area. We want Nigerians to know that insurance is in place for other businesses to strive.

“Because if you look at the fire incidence around the states now, what you see is people putting their hands on their head calling government to come and help them, whereas if they had insurance, there will be no problem”.

She however counseled that it is important to do insurance through registered brokers to avoid problems of claims.

However, the Senate Committee Chairman on public procurement, Senator Shuaibu I. Lau, has called for the holistic amendment of the procurement Act No 14 of the 2007 to remove some bottleneck in the law.

He said that one of the cardinal principles of the 9th Senate as articulated in its legislative agenda is to have a holistic review of the major laws that have direct bearing on the lives of Nigerians, one of such laws is the Procurement Act 14 of 2007 which is supposed to have served as a catalyst to annual appropriation Acts.

The Senator said that the failure of government since 2007 to constitute the National procurement Council, NPC may not be unconnected with the composition of the membership of the Council as provided in the Act, adding that the establishment of the Council and the functions of its members was supposed to give life to the Act.

About Editor

Check Also

Akwa Ibom CP Decorates Elevated PPRO, Others.

By Uwem Ekoh …. _charges them to be professional_ The Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom …