The governorship candidate of the Action Alliance, AA, Uche Nwosu, yesterday said that he was fully prepared to end completely, the sufferings experienced by pensioners in the state. Uche Nwosu Nwosu spoke through his Director of Media and Publicity, Onwusanya Jones, when the Imo Future Initiative, visited him at his country home Eziama in Nkwerre local government area. However, Nwosu attributed the sufferings of the pensioners to corruption in the civil service, adding that he would step on toes to nip in the bud the pains of the senior citizens. The son-in-law to Governor Rochas Okorocha said he had concluded his plans on how to pay pensioners within six months in office as governor of the state. As part of his plans, he said he was going to revolutionize the pension scheme so as to ensure upto date payment of pensioners in Imo state. He also promised that some of his ideas which the present government could not implement would be implemented if he becomes the next governor of the state, as there would be enough time for him to further address the challenges of the state. The AA guber candidate, said that with his strategy of Continuity, Consolidation and Correction that the answer to so many challenges in the state would be solved. According to the statement, “The governorship candidate of the Action Alliance in Imo State, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu has promised to find a lasting solution to the plight of pensioners in the state.” He regretted that our senior citizens are being subjected to avoidable pains before they could get their legitimate entitlements and blamed corruption in the civil service for what seems to be the albatross of the present administration.” He promised to overhaul the pension system as soon as he takes over as the governor of Imo State in 2019. Buhari, APC govs to attend Uzodimma’s campaign flag off in Owerri “I am pained that our senior citizens have to go through avoidable rigours before getting their legitimate entitlements. It is also unfortunate that after these rigorous verifications, they still do not get paid what they are entitled to and when they are entitled to them. “There is no reason why these senior citizens should not get paid for their years of service to our State. Some of them are the teachers who taught us, others served us in different capacities in the civil service. Now, that they are old and retired, they deserve to be paid without any hassles. “The frontline governorship candidate explained that he has set a plan in place to ensure that all pension arrears are cleared off within his first six months in office, if the present administration does not succeed in paying off the accumulated arrears.” Giving reasons why he did not end the sufferings of the pensioners as a Chief of staff to the governor, he said: “My duty as Chief of Staff was to make suggestions, while the governor decides whether to implement such suggestions or not. I didn’t have powers to do anything on my own. As governor, I shall implement those ideas that are beneficial to our people and make sure that our pensioners smile again. “I know what the problems are and I also understand the predicament of the present administration in solving that problem once and for all. I shall step on toes, no matter how big those toes are.” “He thanked the group for identifying with him and urged them to stand with him in his vision to move Imo State forward as encapsulated in the three Cs of Continuity, Consolidation and Correction.” The General Manager, of Formal Sector Social Health Insurance Programme, FSSHIP, of the NHIS, Dr. Eke Jonathan said that NHIS is at the forefront of the UHC “serving as the structure set up to manage the UHC in Nigeria to ensure that funds are provided for the attainment of the UHC goals.” Eke added that although UHC has not been fully implemented, “reasonable progress” has been made towards its actualization. According to him; “States have adopted this policy and are setting up Health Insurance Schemes and agencies that will work with the NHIS to achieve the goals of the UHC; the federal government is fully in support of the drive towards UHC as it recently budgeted N55 billion for basic health care. Therefore I can say for sure that UHC is attainable in Nigeria in the next 5 years.” Other key health stakeholders and health system researchers from Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi states that were in attendance were Dr. Chioma Ezenyimulu; Executive Secretary, Anambra state Primary Health Care Development Agency; Dr. Nwali Okata, Executive Secretary, Ebonyi state Primary Health Care Development Agency; Dr. Simeon Onyemaechi, Executive Secretary, Anambra state Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA); Dr. Uche Ewelike, Assistant General Manager NHIS; Prof. BSC. Uzochukwu, Deputy Coordinator, HPRG, State Coordinators of NHIS in Anambra and Enugu.
