Osun Pensioners Commend Adeleke for Free Health Insurance Coverage

The Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Osun State chapter, has praised Governor Ademola Adeleke for enrolling 20,000 retirees in the Osun Health Insurance Scheme free of charge, describing the initiative as a lifesaver that has significantly reduced the death rate among pensioners.

According to the union, the health insurance scheme has eased the financial burden on retirees, particularly in the face of rising medical costs and meagre pension payments that many struggle to survive on.

The Osun NUP Secretary, Lawrence Aina, confirmed that the state government enrolled 20,000 pensioners in the scheme in 2025. He noted that the union had verified the number and found it accurate, expressing gratitude to the governor for the welfare package.

'Twenty thousand pensioners were enrolled. We monitored the number and saw that it was accurate. We are grateful to the Governor of Osun State because our people are really enjoying quality medical services through OHIS,' Aina stated.

He added that pensioners who were yet to be captured initially have been going to the health insurance offices individually, and the government has been accommodating them.

The scheme initially covered all minor illnesses, though beneficiaries now pay certain percentages for surgical operations. The union is appealing to the government to consider covering the full charges for surgical procedures.

Aina highlighted the dire situation many pensioners faced before the intervention, noting that some retirees were receiving as little as N350, N500, or N750 monthly, making it impossible for them to afford medical treatment.

'The present government added N25,000 to what we were earning, and it gave us some relief. It even reduced the death rate among our people. So, we are thanking the governor for what he has done,' he said.

A retiree, Kolawole Koleosho, speaking at the NUP headquarters in Osogbo, confirmed that since enrolling in the health insurance scheme, he now uses his pension primarily to feed his family rather than spending it on medical bills.

He described the health insurance scheme as a major welfare intervention for retirees and urged the governor to sustain the initiative beyond his current tenure.