Govt pensioners association elects national executive
The Ghana Government Pensioners Association has elected a new four-member national executive to steer the affairs of the association for the next four years.
Esther Obimpeh, who was the acting Chairperson in the last two years, was elected the National Chairperson, while Jonathan Ozorh was elected Vice-Chairman.
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Joe Quist was elected the National Secretary, with Emmanuel Q. M. Hansen elected the Deputy National Secretary.
The elected executive members were sworn into office by the Deputy General Secretary of the Public Service Workers Union (PSWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), John Sompa, at a ceremony at its head office at Cantonments in Accra yesterday.
The election at the association’s ninth Quadrennial Delegates Conference also gave the delegates from the 10 regions the opportunity to discuss issues that bordered on matters of the association.
Plenary discussion
The members lamented the dwindled membership of the association over the years, saying it was as a result of splinter associations that had emerged following reforms under the pension scheme.
The new pension reforms had paved way for less number of retired government employees to join the association, leaving only past and aged members in the association.
"They existed and worked for the government before the pension law creating SSNIT came into being,” Mr Sompa said.
The members expressed concern that pensioners under Cap 30 were not many due to the reforms, hence it had reduced their membership drive, with many members now in their 70s to 80s.
“Without new people joining us, this can cause the association to become extinct," the Deputy General Secretary of PSWU observed.
Mr Sompa assured the association that the PSWU was ready to support the restructuring of the association to make it attractive to prospective pensioners.
He said that could only be achieved by reviewing the constitution of the association as well as the operational manual.
The Chairperson, Mrs Obimpeh, expressed appreciation to the delegates for electing her and the other executives, and pledged their commitment to work towards improving the fortunes of the association and its members.
