NBA President, Usoro, SAN Announces The Renewal Of 2020 Life Assurance Scheme, Asks Chairmen To Submit Names Of Deceased Members For 2019

The Nigerian Bar Association has announced the renewal of the Life Assurance Scheme (“Life Scheme” or “Scheme”) for her Members who paid their 2020 Bar Practice Fee not later than 31st March.

The President of the Association, Paul Usoro,SAN made this disclosure in a statement on Tuesday.

He also pointed out that branch Chairmen are to submit outstanding claims for members who paid their BPF last year though passed away in 2019.

The outstanding claims are to be submitted to the National Secretariat not later than 15th May 2020 to enable them close the book for the 2019 Insurance Scheme.

His statement reads: 

1. We are pleased to announce the renewal of the Life Assurance Scheme (“Life Scheme” or “Scheme”) for NBA Members who had, as at 31 March 2020 paid their Bar Practice Fees (“BPF”) for Year 2020. Our Partner for the Scheme remains Leadway Assurance Company Limited (“Leadway Assurance” or “Leadway”), who, we are happy to state, have honored its obligations by settling all the death benefit claims – about 18 (eighteen) in all – that we have presented to it.

2. To enable us close the books on the claims for 2019, we urge the Branches to submit to the National Secretariat’s Bar Services Unit, not later than 15 May 2020 any outstanding claims in respect of any of our deceased members who had paid his BPF for 2019 as at 31 March 2019 and had passed on in Year 2019. We would wish to close the books on the preceding year’s claims by the said date.

3. We should perhaps refresh our members’ memories on the salient features of the Life Scheme as follows:

i. The renewed cover is for one calendar year, beginning from 01 January 2020.

ii. As we pointed out in our Release of 21 September 2019, the Scheme did not operate between 2017 and 2018 due to non-payment of the requisite premium amounts. In the circumstance, neither Leadway nor the NBA is or can be liable under the Scheme howsoever for any deaths or accidental permanent disabilities that may have occurred during the said period i.e. 2017 and 2018.

iii. The Scheme is only for NBA members who paid their 2020 Bar Practice Fees as at 31 March 2020. The number of such members is a little more than 51,000 – a slight increase from the 2019 figure.

We are working with Leadway for the issuance of certificates to each of the members iv. The 3 (three) benefits under the Scheme are as follows:

a. Death cover .. .. .. .. .. .. N1million
b. Accidental Permanent Total Disability (“PTD”) .. N1million
c. Accidental medical expenses benefit .. .. .. N30,000.00

In the years preceding 2018, when the Scheme was operational, the only benefits that were covered and available to our members were the Death and Accidental PTD benefits and we have simply continued with these benefits.

v. Payment by Leadway Assurance on either Death or Accidental PTD on any member terminates the cover for the member.

vi. The Accidental Medical Expenses benefit is a goodwill “enhancement” that is provided by Leadway Assurance and does not at all or howsoever take the place, eclipse or stand in the way of the Death or Accidental PTD benefits. In other words, a lawyer who benefits from the Accidental Medical Expenses claim of N30,000.00 would and could still claim the Death or Accidental PTD
benefits in the event of either incident provided that, as stated in the preceding Item (iii), payment by Leadway Assurance on either Death or Accidental PTD on any member terminates the cover for the member.

vii. NBA has no liability under the Scheme howsoever. The Association merely facilitates the Life Scheme for our members and therefore bears no contractual liability therefor. The Association will however play the role of the liaison between the NBA members who are covered by this scheme and Leadway Assurance and will assist in processing any claims by members or their survivors/beneficiaries under the Scheme.

4. Notwithstanding the renewal of this Life Scheme we pray for good health, long life and, above all, Divine blessings and protection for all our members, particularly in this era of COVID-19. Please, stay safe and strictly observe all the safety measures that are contained in the published advisories by the World Health Organization and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

Paul Usoro, SAN
NBA President