By Adewole Kehinde
“If we develop concern for other people’s welfare, share other people’s suffering, and help them; ultimately, we will benefit. The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our sense of well-being becomes,” – Dalai Lama
Group Life Assurance is a life policy that provides death-in-service benefits to employees in common employment or a group of people with similar appreciable exposure.
It is designed to provide for the payment of a lump sum of money to the beneficiary(ies) of a deceased member of the scheme.
The Nigeria Police Welfare Insurance Scheme is aimed at providing insurance cover for officers and men of the Nigeria Police.
The IGP Family Welfare Insurance Scheme, funded by the Nigeria Police Force, was established in 2017. The idea is to relieve the hardship faced by the deceased’s immediate family before their death benefits are ready for payment.
The programme is designed to compensate members of the Force who might have suffered accidents, injuries, or death in the course of their official duty.
On July 14, 2023, as acting Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun presented cheques worth N535.6 million to 68 families of officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
The IGP said the money was from the Group Life Insurance Policy for 2022–2023. He said the money was also for officers who suffered permanent deformities in the course of duty.
IGP Egbetokun said the gesture was part of the passionate drive of the force for the welfare of police personnel and their families.
Also, on September 26, 2023, as acting Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun presented cheques totalling N1.3 billion to 420 families of police officers who died in active service.
Egbetokun said the cheques were for the 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 policy years under the Group Life Assurance policy of the police.
He said the presentation also encompassed the IGP’s Family Welfare Insurance Scheme.
According to him, the Group Life Assurance Scheme is a welfare package established as a result of the amendment of the 2004 Pension Reform Act (2014).
On November 17, 2023, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, presented Settlement Group Life Assurance and IGP Family Welfare Scheme benefits, amounting to N2.276,110,966.80, to 613 families of police officers who died in active service.
The Life Assurance Scheme is being funded by the Federal Government, while the IGP family welfare scheme is funded by the Nigeria Police Force.
The IG advised the beneficiaries to use the money for the benefit of the families left behind by the deceased officers.
He noted that the gesture was part of the NPF’s efforts to sympathise with the families of deceased police officers and for the upkeep of their day-to-day life challenges.
A noteworthy development occurred on Thursday, January 18, when the Inspector-General of Police oversaw the distribution of insurance benefits to 785 families and the next of kin of deceased officers for the insurance policy years 2015/2016, 2017/2018, 2021/2022 under the Group Life Assurance Policy and the Inspector-General of Police Family Welfare Insurance Scheme for the year 2022/2023. The benefits totaled N2,806,801,144.79k only.
The Police Force’s dedication to supporting the families of officers who have given their lives while doing their duties was further demonstrated by the distribution ceremony, which was held at Force Headquarters.
IGP Kayode Egbetokun, since his appointment, has prioritised the welfare of Nigeria police personnel and the families of deceased officers to promote their basic, physical, and material well-being.
No wonder that between June 2023 and the present, the Nigeria Police Force, via the Force Insurance Office, has been able to settle 2,533 insurance claims of police personnel who have passed away. These claims total Six Billion, Thirteen Million, Forty-Three Thousand, Three Hundred and Twenty-Six Naira, and Fifty-One Kobo (N6,013,043,326.51k).
I saw smiles all over the faces of the beneficiaries as they expressed joy and promised to utilise the money prudently while thanking the Inspector General of Police for his kind gesture.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu deserves praise for prioritising police welfare throughout his term and for making sure that the Nigeria Police Force’s premiums are prudently released for deceased officers.
In addition, IGP Kayode Egbetokun’s administration deserves praise for its unwavering dedication to maintaining efforts to guarantee that insurance payouts and other social benefits are given to recipients on time.
Adewole Kehinde is the publisher of Swift Reporters and can be reached at 08166240846. E-mail: kennyadewole@gmail.com
