The Osun State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has said that the enrolment of its members into the state health insurance scheme by Governor Ademola Adeleke has reduced the mortality rate among pensioners.
The state government enrolled 20,000 pensioners into the health insurance scheme free of charge in 2025 to ensure access to quality healthcare services.
Speaking with journalists yesterday at the union’s headquarters in Osogbo, the Osun NUP Secretary, Comrade Lawrence Aina, said the policy has enabled retirees to access quality medical services.
He described the governor’s gesture as a lifesaver, especially amid the rising cost of healthcare across the country.
Aina noted that the monthly pensions received by members are barely sufficient for feeding, let alone medical expenses, adding that the health insurance enrolment has provided relief for pensioners and their families.
His words: “About 20,000 pensioners were enrolled, and we monitored the process and confirmed its accuracy. We are grateful to the Governor of Osun State because our members are enjoying quality medical services through the Osun Health Insurance Scheme (OHIS).
“Presently, some of our members who were not initially captured are being enrolled gradually, and the government has been accommodating them under the free healthcare arrangement.
“It is true that at the inception, the scheme covered minor ailments fully, but now certain percentages are required for surgical operations. However, we are still appealing to the government to consider full coverage for surgeries.
“The scheme has helped our pensioners greatly. Before now, some retirees earned as low as N350, N500, or N750 monthly, making it difficult to afford medical treatment. But when the present government added N25,000 to what we were earning, it brought relief and even reduced the death rate among our members. We sincerely thank the governor for what he has done.”
A retiree, Kolawole Koleosho, who also spoke with journalists, said that since enrolling in the health insurance scheme, he now uses his pension to feed himself and his family, thereby improving his wellbeing and longevity.
He described the scheme as a major welfare package for retirees and commended the governor for the initiative, urging him to sustain the programme.
