The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Ogun State has appealed to the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, to capture pensioners in the National and Ogun State Health Insurance Scheme with a 50 percent discount.
The body made the appeal during the 2024 Pensioners Day Celebration held at the NUP Secretariat Leme, Abeokuta.
The state NUP chairman, Waidi Oloyede, in his welcome address explained that as senior citizens the health relief policy becomes imperative for them.
Oloyede said “Your Excellency, we wish to bring to your notice that most, if not all the Senior Citizens battle one health challenge or the other. It is therefore pertinent to say that we, the Aged Senior Citizens, mostly need such Health relief as being provided by the National Health Insurance Scheme.
“We passionately plead that the Pensioners be rightly captured on the National Health Insurance Scheme and a further rebate/discount of 50% benefit should accrue to would-be subscribers, as such has been allowed the mainstream personnel.”
He added that the long awaited consequential increase in pension has also caused the older residents to become anxious, stressing that nothing has come of the committee that was inaugurated to address it.
“May I use this medium to inform you that another most important request agitating the minds of the Elderly is the issue of the Consequential Increase in Pensions.
“Consequential Increase Review Committee that was inaugurated at your instance by the Secretary to the State Government on the 19th July, 2022, had its inaugural and only meeting on the 2nd of August, 2022. To our dismay, nothing has been heard as outcome from the committee.
In her remarks, the permanent secretary, Bureau of Establishment, Mrs Lydia Fajounbo assured the pensioners that the government would continue to do it best to meet their demands .
Editors’ note: This picture was used for illustration
