The Lagos State Government has urged civil servants to embrace appropriate insurance policies to avoid difficulties in accessing their benefits.

Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu made the appeal on Thursday during the Grand Finale of the maiden Lagos State Civil Service Insurance Week.

The event, which was organized by the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with a consortium of insurance companies and brokers, was held at De-Blue Roof, Lagos Television, Ikeja.

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner of Finance, Dr. Rabiu Olowo, said that embracing an appropriate insurance policy remained one of the prudent decisions anyone could make in view of all forms of unfortunate incidents happening in society.

“As a government that is forward-thinking and particular about the safety of the entire workforce, we have taken it upon ourselves to ensure our staff against any unforeseen occurrences.

“The government spends a huge sum of money annually to insure its property and workforce. This shows that we are leading by example and setting the pace as far as insurance is concerned.

“It is on this premise that the Lagos State Civil Service Insurance Week was put together with series of activities including lectures and exhibitions which started since the beginning of the week.

“It is my hope that this event will serve as an eye-opener to herald a change of attitude among the populace about the misconceptions surrounding insurance,” Sanwo-Olu said.

He said that no modern economy could achieve its full growth potential without a well-developed and thriving insurance sector.

The governor said the public stands to gain from insurance if the public property were adequately covered by insurance.

He added that individuals were not left out of insurance benefits if they had personal insurance cover.

Sanwo-Olu said: ” I cannot but recall the devasting destruction to public assets as a result of last year’s ‘ENDSARS’ protest which was hijacked by hoodlums.

He noted that if not for a solid and proper insurance arrangement, the government would still be grappling with the challenges of replacement, reinstatement, and repairs of damaged property.

“While we continue to restate our commitment to the protection of life and property being the cardinal responsibility of government, it is important to state that our people must also be willing to play their part and do the needful.

“We have instituted insurance as a culture in Lagos State and I call on all our people to embrace this initiative,” Sanwo-Olu said.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Rabiu Olowo, said that in order to make the process of accessing insurance claims by government employees less cumbersome, the ministry through its Insurance Department has decentralized its operations.

He said that the planned decentralization would take into cognizance the five “IBILE” divisions of the state where zonal officers will report activities and claims to the headquarters for promptness, efficiency, and effectiveness.

“Plans have been concluded to activate this new development and it will take effect soon. With this initiative, distance will no longer be a limiting factor to access insurance claims by government employees.

“Apart from this, another strategy that is being put in place by the Ministry of Finance is the elimination of unnecessary bureaucracies for the relatives of deceased staff in accessing the insurance compensation of the beloved ones,” Olowo said.

The Permanent Secretary of Lagos State Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Yemi Ayoola, said that the event was organized following the aftermath of the EndSARs.

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Ayoola said that it was necessary for civil servants to insure their lives and property, adding that life itself is a risk and that no one could determine when any incident could happen.

“Insurance helps to reduce the risks that we face in life and it is important to note that we have a lot to benefit than to lose when we insure our lives and property, ” Ayoola said.