Matthew Otoijagha
Consolidated Hallmark Insurance PLC has provided Group Personal Accident Insurance cover worth N24 million to insurance journalists in the country.
This, according to the company, was part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project, to ensure that journalists who are mostly exposed to danger and hazard in the discharge of their civic duties are adequately protected.
The Group Personal Accident Insurance covers death, permanent disability and medical expenses. The policy has been running for more than five years now, precisely since 2012, and is renewed annually by the company at the expiratory period of each year, on behalf of the concerned journalists.
The cover, which was recently renewed by the insurer in October, 2017 is due to expire in September, 2018. The company has promised to continue to renew the coverage for the journalists every year.
Managing Director of the company, Eddie Efekoha said journalism profession both within and outside the country is exposed to different kinds of risks, and such calls for the need for insurance to mitigate the risks in the event of this nature.
He disclosed that in the case of the death of any of the concerned journalists, the family of the deceased is entitled to N1 million death benefits, while the same claim of N1 million applies to a journalist who suffers permanent disability in the discharge of his duties.
He added that the insurance, as well, covers for medical expenses to the tune of N200, 000 per journalist in the case of an accident.
It would be recalled that in 2013, Mrs. Bimbo Oyetunde a staffer of Radio Nigeria received medical bill compensation from CHI. She was involved in a ghastly motor accident alongside others members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) on their return from Abuja after an official assignment where three people died.
Oyetunde, an insurance correspondent then, got the monetary compensation having been part of the Group Personal Accident Insurance Scheme issued to insurance correspondents by the insurance firm.