The Contributory Pension and Happy Retirement Advocacy (COPEHRA) described the National Pension Commission’s (PenCom) free PenCare registration for 30,000 retirees as a major relief for vulnerable pensioners nationwide.

The chairman of COPEHRA, Sani Mustapha, gave the commendation in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said that the Pension Industry Health Care Initiative (PenCare) would improve retirees’ access to quality healthcare and reduce financial pressure associated with medical treatment.

According to the expert, the first-come, first-served arrangement will encourage early enrolment among eligible retirees across the country.

Mr Mustapha said that many retirees struggle with rising healthcare costs due to limited pension earnings and economic hardship.

He said the PenCare scheme demonstrated PenCom’s commitment to improving the welfare and living standards of pensioners under the contributory pension scheme (CPS).

The expert urged eligible retirees to take advantage of the programme before available registration slots were exhausted.

Mr Mustapha also called on stakeholders to support policies promoting affordable healthcare access for senior citizens and low-income retirees.

The expert expressed hope that the initiative would eventually expand beyond the initial 30,000 beneficiaries nationwide.

He said that to register, scan the barcode, see newspaper publications or visit www.pencom.gov.ng or any of the PFAs’ websites.

Mr Mustapha also commended President Bola Tinubu for his support to the retirees and the Director-General (DG) of PenCom, Omolola Oloworaran.

A pensioner, Grace Emmanuel, said that the initiative would bring hope to many pensioners.

She described the initiative as a major relief amid increasing healthcare costs and economic hardship across the country.

Ms Emmanuel said that the scheme would help pensioners access medical care without depending heavily on relatives.

She said that many retirees often skip treatment because of inadequate funds and rising hospital bills nationwide.

Another retiree, Ibrahim Baba, said that the programme was a thoughtful intervention for senior citizens battling health challenges.

He urged eligible pensioners to register early because the programme operates on a first-come, first-served basis.

A retired civil servant, Esther Okafor, said the initiative had restored hope among retirees struggling with limited monthly pensions.

Ms Okafor appealed to PenCom to expand the programme beyond the initial 30,000 beneficiaries across the country.

The retirees also called for continuous awareness campaigns to ensure pensioners in rural communities benefited from the scheme. 

(NAN)