The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has celebrated its oldest female pensioner across the country, Madam Ima Zenabu Dagomba, on her 100th birthday and seized the opportunity to encourage workers in the informal sector to enrol on the national pension scheme.
Madam Dagomba, who was born on July 1, 1926, retired from active service on January 31, 1992, and was first placed on the SSNIT pension payroll in March 1993. She has now been on the scheme for 33 years and four months, making her the longest-serving female SSNIT pensioner in Ghana.
Madam Dagomba expressed appreciation to SSNIT for its continued support over the years, saying her monthly pension had enabled her to live with dignity.
“I am grateful to SSNIT for the support so far. If it hadn’t been SSNIT, life would not have been easy for me.
I am able to feed myself and pay my bills because of SSNIT,” she said.
Speaking at the gathering, the Deputy Director-General in charge of Operations and Benefits at SSNIT, Adam Sulley, said pensioners remained one of the Trust’s most important stakeholders and deserved to be celebrated for their contribution to national development.
Mr Sulley explained that the decision to hold the ceremony at Madam Dagomba’s home, instead of a hotel, was intentional, saying it brought SSNIT closer to communities and exposed more people, particularly those in the informal sector, to the benefits of the pension scheme.
“Many of the people gathered here today are from the informal sector.
They are beginning to appreciate that SSNIT is not only for formal sector workers but also for them.
“We want them to become contributors today so they can also enjoy a secure retirement tomorrow,” he said.
He said SSNIT already had a self-employed enrolment programme and continued to engage traders, artisans, farmers, and other workers through regular outreach activities.
He stressed that although discussions were ongoing at the national level to improve pension coverage for the informal sector, the Trust already had products designed to meet the needs of self-employed workers.
Mr Sulley said SSNIT had introduced a telehealth service in collaboration with Trust Hospital and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to improve access to health care for pensioners.
He said the service enabled pensioners to consult doctors by telephone from any part of the country without necessarily travelling to a health facility.
“If you ask 10 pensioners about their biggest challenge, nine are likely to mention health.
We believe this intervention will make health care more accessible to them,” he said.
The Tamale Area Manager of SSNIT, Seth Kpakpa Quartey, urged workers, particularly those in the informal sector, to secure their future by enrolling on the SSNIT scheme.
The Regional Treasurer of the National Pensioners Association in the Upper West Region, Madam Victoria Danoro Dangori, congratulated her for attaining the milestone, describing her as an inspiration to pensioners across the country.
