Tamale, Mar 14, - The National
Pensioners Association has applauded the efforts of the current Board of
Directors of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to plug
loopholes to ensure that pensioners’ money is not wasted or diverted for other
purposes.
Mr Edward Ameyibor, General
Secretary of the National Pensioners Association, who gave the commendation,
said “We are interested in our pension funds being prudently managed. For many
of us, the SSNIT pension is all we have and it must not be threatened.”
He was delivering the situation
report of the Association during the opening of the first half yearly meeting
of the National Executive Council of the Association in Tamale on Tuesday.
The four-day meeting, which ends
on Friday, is to amongst others discuss the amalgamation of Pensioners and
Retired Officers Association, the Pensioners Medical Scheme and the forthcoming
elections of executives to steer its affairs.
Mr Ameyibor said “We want to
sound a note of caution however, that SSNIT is a social protection scheme to
help retired persons to receive secured and regular support, which is enough to
maintain their dignity. SSNIT, we believe, should be run with such objectives
but not as a pure business concern for profits.”
Last year, the current Management
of SSNIT raised issues with some decisions taken by the previous Management of
SSNIT, which were thought not to be prudent.
This did not sit well with some
members of the public including pensioners, who called on SSNIT to ensure
prudent management of pension funds.
Mr Ameyibor commended SSNIT for
providing accommodation for the Association at all its regional offices but
asked that such offices be brought to the ground floor for easy access by
pensioners.
He pleaded that “We also want to
encourage the provision of wheel chairs at SSNIT offices to help pensioners who
may need such support whenever they want to transact business at any SSNIT
office.”
Mr Ameyibor said the Association
would soon hold discussions with SSNIT to undertake a project to build
recreational centres across the country to generate revenues for the welfare of
pensioners.
Mr Jos-Arris Bougre, Tamale Area
Manager of SSNIT said it was interested in the welfare of pensioners assuring
that SSNIT pension would always be ready every month for pensioners.
Mr Bougre encouraged pensioners
to enrol onto SSNIT’s biometric platform to ensure quality and increase service
delivery to them.
GNA
No comments:
Post a Comment