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 ran 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.
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