Liberia’s most renowned and one of the oldest insurance company, the National Insurance Corporation of Liberia (NICOL), has bounced back with Credibility, Transparency, and Enthusiasm, with the wand of authority in the hands of Mr. Sam Mannah.
The National Insurance Corporation of Liberia (NICOL), was established by PRC Decree # 81 on February 9, 1984. Section 1 of the PRC’s Decree, states: “The Corporation shall be solely owned by the Government of the Republic of Liberia. It shall have succession in its corporate name, may sue and be sued, and shall adopt a corporate seal. Its principal office shall be located in Monrovia, Montserrado County, Republic of Liberia”
Looking back at NICOL’s prewar first major achievement in 1987, based on the support of the Liberian Government, NICOL, made an extraordinary impact on the lives of Liberians, and the Corporation (NICOL), was so viable to a magnitude that it was competent to loan the Government a considerable amount of US$ 3,000,000.00 (three million United States Dollars) just within two years of its operation to help with civil servants salaries.
Furthermore, as the winds of time change, NICOL now has a goal-oriented manager who always improvises and is ready to solve any problem.
Consequently, as the wheels of the Economy turn, Mr. Mannah, as the head of the National Insurance Corporation of Liberia (NICOL), has yet to leave any stone unturned in ensuring that NICOL, regains its reputation.
Therefore, when Kukatonon correspondents asked Mr. Mannah about the activities of the National Insurance Corporation of Liberia (NICOL), and why the Corporation was inactive for some years, he explained that he could attribute the inactivity of NICOL, to several factors, including lack of support and personal interest within the insurance industry.
According to Managing Director Mannah, people with vested interests will always ensure that their interests are supported. But often fight to kill off any other interests that are not in their favor.
The NICOL Boss said, for decades, past administrations did not pay attention to the resuscitation of NICOL, which is why the institution remained dormant for so many years.
Speaking further, Mr. Mannah stated that at the moment, his primary focus is to ensure that NICOL’s statutory mandate is fully enforced and adhered to as mandated by law. NICOL’s Boss also deliberated on the challenges of the Institution.
“There’s been a lot of hurdles though. Our major challenge or burden has been having government institutions comply with us. November will be five years since I got appointed here. I served as Deputy Managing Director and acting Managing Director for three years. I became a Managing Director proper in November of 2021. So I did as Deputy Managing Director and acting Managing Director for three years, of our mandate for us to cooperate and to see how they could comply with us. But I can safely inform you that out of 100 percent, we will have less than 5 percent compliance. It is very challenging to get back on track, and we are trying to see how we can get the president to intervene because it is sad. You know, we were all created by law. Every institution, every public institution in the republic, was created by law. So we are to cooperate by respecting one another’s rights.
If your job is to collect taxes, there is a law that gives you the authority to collect taxes. Why can’t you also abide by the laws that established NICOL?
If your role is to ensure that the rule of law is adhered to, if you are in law enforcement, there is a law that gives you that power, that authority. Okay, so you want many people to abide by your standards, and it’s also incumbent upon you to abide by others’ regulations.
That’s how it should be because that’s what the government is all about, cooperation “. Mr. Mannah said.
According to Mr. Mannah, NICOL offers essential services such as Auto Insurance, Life and Health, Marine Insurance, Money Insurance, Fire and life Insurance, Goods Insurance, and Burglary Insurance.
One major success story for NICOL is that its Managing Director Sam Mannah can go to bed every day and feels good about it. The NICOL story is one of trial to triumph because it initially was operated without funding but now is at a position where an additional 16 persons have been employed after undergoing rigorous training and have become professionals.
Also speaking on the services and the ideal working atmosphere at NICOL, was one of the employees, Janet Carson, who praised the management for the fantastic work.
” At NICOL, I serve as a health insurance professional, and I’m here to engage customers. I talk to customers about the several significant insurance packages NICOL offers and help our customers select the package that suits their financial needs,” Janet describes her roles.
