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BREAKING: Tension as pensioners stripped of NHIS benefits

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The Nigeria Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme Sector, NUPCPS, has condemned the removal of retired workers from accessing the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, describing the decision as unfair and inhumane.

The National Secretary of NUPCPS, Mr. John Bisan, voiced the union’s displeasure during a two-day Sensitisation and Enlightenment Workshop on the workings of the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, held in Lagos.

Bisan lamented that many retirees were being denied health insurance coverage at a time in their lives when they needed it most, despite having served the nation faithfully during their productive years.

Bisan said: “I wouldn’t know whether the Director-General of PenCom is aware that once you turn 60 or retire from service — even at 55 — you are removed from the NHIS. This is unfair.

“I cannot serve my country for 35 good years, give my youthful and useful age to service, only to be told after retirement that I am not entitled to free healthcare. This is too bad. This is the period we need healthcare the most.”

He warned that the policy had left many senior citizens vulnerable, with several battling health challenges such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart conditions without the financial means to afford medication and treatment.

“Many pensioners are dying because we can’t afford drugs or medical tests. The government must restore free healthcare for retirees immediately. In countries like the UK and the US, the elderly have access to healthcare at no cost. Why can’t Nigeria do the same?” he queried.

Responding to the concerns, the Director-General of the National Pension Commission, PenCom, Ms. Omolola Oloworaran, represented by Mr. Mutiu Muslim, Head of the Commission’s South-West Zonal Office, said that PenCom had rolled out a free healthcare access initiative for low-income retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme.

According to her, the initiative is a vital part of the Commission’s efforts to strengthen social protection and ensure dignity for retirees in their old age.

“Healthcare access is a key component of social protection. The Commission is committed to ensuring that retirees, especially those in the low-income category, have access to basic healthcare services,” she assured.

Stakeholders at the workshop called on the Federal and State Governments to prioritise the welfare of pensioners and take concrete steps to reinstate NHIS coverage for all retirees, noting that their wellbeing reflects the nation’s commitment to honouring those who have served it diligently.

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POLITICS: Wike-led PDP Faction Takes Over Party Secretariat In Oyo

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Members of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, have taken over the secretariat of the party in Oyo State.

The secretariat, located in the Molete area of Ibadan, was in the custody of the faction loyal to Governor Seyi Makinde of the state until Thursday when the members loyal to Wike took over the premises.

DAILY POST gathered that the PDP members stormed the secretariat on Thursday and occupied the premises with hundreds of members of the party in attendance.

PDP chairman in the state, Professor Abdulrahman Akinoso, confirmed the development to DAILY POST.

Akinoso in a telephone conversation with DAILY POST on Thursday, insisted that the real owners have taken over the premises.

He said, “It is true. It is not faction. It is PDP. We have taken over the premises. It was in the morning. We were there in the morning. We just left the premises. We are now in control. We have taken over the premises.” .…For more, Complete your reading.

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POLITICS: Foreign Recognition Won’t Secure Re-election – ADC Tells Tinubu

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has told President Bola Tinubu that foreign recognition will not secure him another term in office, insisting that Nigerians will judge his administration by its performance, not by diplomatic gestures from other world leaders.

In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party reacted to the Presidency’s celebration of a purported letter from United States President Donald Trump to Tinubu.

The ADC said presenting the letter as an endorsement of Tinubu’s administration was misleading, stressing that diplomatic correspondence between world leaders is a normal part of international relations.

“The Presidency’s attempt to present President Donald Trump’s letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as though it were a referendum on the state of the nation is not correct,” the party said.

According to the ADC, countries cooperate, leaders exchange views and letters regularly, adding that such communication does not amount to an endorsement of a government’s performance.

The party accused the Tinubu administration of being desperate for international validation instead of focusing on solving Nigeria’s challenges.

“It is apparent that this administration is desperate to seize upon any gesture of international recognition as proof of success at home,” the statement said.

The ADC maintained that “a letter from a foreign president, however well-intentioned, cannot substitute for the verdict of the Nigerian people.”

It added that the true measure of any government is not what foreign leaders say about it, but what citizens experience daily.

The opposition party argued that Trump’s letter had not changed the reality facing millions of Nigerians, especially those affected by insecurity.

“For the millions of Nigerians still living with the consequences of this government’s failures, President Trump’s communication changes nothing. It did not say that insecurity has been overcome or that Nigerians can once again travel freely, farm safely and sleep without fear,” the party stated.

The ADC also pointed to the continued captivity of hundreds of women and children in parts of Borno State and Kaiama in Kwara State, while many communities in Benue and other parts of the country still live in constant fear because of insecurity.

The party further noted that, despite the Presidency’s celebration of the letter, the United States Department of State has not changed its travel advisory for Nigeria.

According to the ADC, several Nigerian states remain under Level 3 and Level 4 travel advisories, with American citizens still being urged to reconsider or avoid travel because of crime, terrorism, kidnapping and civil unrest.

“We therefore wonder how correspondence from a government that designates several Nigerian states as ‘Do Not Travel’ areas can be regarded as an endorsement,” the party said.

It argued that the travel advisory shows the international assessment of Nigeria’s security situation remains different from the image the Presidency is trying to project.

The ADC said Nigerians are more concerned about their safety than diplomatic exchanges between presidents.

“The daily reality of Nigerians is shaped not by diplomatic correspondence, but by the guarantee that they can go about their lives without falling victim to violent crime or terrorism,” it said.

The party stressed that Trump’s letter was simply communication between two presidents and “does not amount to an endorsement of this government’s overall performance.”

It urged the Tinubu administration to focus less on celebrating diplomatic courtesies and more on delivering measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerians.

“Ultimately, Nigerians will not judge this government by the letters it receives from foreign capitals. They will judge it by whether .…For more, Complete your reading.

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