House to Summon IGP over Life Insurance Claims on Deceased Officers

The House of Representatives ad hoc committee on alleged fraudulent practices by government agencies and insurance companies is to summon the Inspector General of Police to appear before it to explain alleged irregularities in the administration of the Police Insurance Group Life and selective settlement of claims of deceased officers by the police.

Chairman of the committee, Hon. Abdulkaber Akinlade who disclosed this in Abuja said the committee was worried by the allegation against the police.

According to him, it was unimaginable that police officers who put their lives on the line to defend the citizens of this country would be so shabbily treated by their superiors.

He said that the summon had become necessary because the IGP invited Members of the committee for a meeting in his office only to treat them with complete disrespect by keeping them waiting for many hours.

He said members of the Ad hoc Committee on Insurance had gone on a prearranged visit to the Nigerian Police headquarters for a scheduled meeting with the IGP but were ignored and kept in the office of the Inspector General of Police's Principal Staff Officer for hours, prompting them to leave in protest.

Akinlade expressed surprise at the IGP's action, adding that it was “symptomatic of the increasingly contemptuous disregard for the parliament by top officials of government.

"It is unacceptable that government officials will willfully disregard the institution of the parliament which appropriates resources for the institutions they head.

We cannot continue to allow the strong man mentality to hold us down. We must work towards building strong institutions which the national assembly represents" he said.