Pensioners Association Climax Silver Jubilee Celebrations

The National Pensioners Association (NPA), made up of retirees under the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), on Sunday, climaxed its silver jubilee with a church service in appreciation of the Lord's sustenance over the years.

The service, which brought together a large number of the Association's membership to worship with the Presbyterian Church of Ghana Eben-ezer rpt Eben-ezer congregation at Osu in Accra, was a joyous occasion as patrons clad in their anniversary clothes, danced their hearts out to the various harmonic praises and worship tunes sung by the church choir and singing band respectively.

The mood was that of joy and at the same time with mixed feelings as the Association paid glowing tributes to its members who had died in course of the years.

The Reverend Kwei Masoperh, who is the Fourth Minister of the Osu Ebenezer Congregation, in a sermon, titled: 'Make Straight Path for the Lord', based on Mark 1:1-8, urged all Christians to live their lives in holiness and truth in preparation for the second coming of Jesus Christ.

This, he said must be done by every individual believer without any compulsion as the Holy Bible has categorically stated that judgment certainly awaited all humanity in the life after death.

He said 'this creates the awareness and mindfulness that every individual must prepare to give a personal account of their lives'.

He said it was the reason why the church has been and was being structured to help straighten the path for all believers.

It is therefore required of every Christian to fully participate in all sacred congregational activities, which included Baptism, Confirmation and partaking in the Holy Communion, as the key fundamentals to ensure their preservation and perfections in the Lord.

Rev. Masoperh however discouraged the negative attitudes of some Christians that cause others to backslide or fall away, basing his warning on Romans 14:10, which forbid anyone from judging or showing contempt to another, saying 'God will not judge the world by human standards, therefore people must focus on their own salvation and stop criticising others'.

He praised all pensioners for their hard work and actions that had brought the country this far, urging them to hold on to the integrity with which they had served, so that the younger generation could emulate.

He also encouraged all who were still in active service to make good plans for their retirement so that they do not become burdens on others or suffer the harsh realities of lack of good planning.

Mr Edward Ameyibor, the General Secretary of the National Pensioners Association (SSNIT), later in an interview with the Ghana News agency admitted that the Association had over the past 25 years grown tremendously both in membership and in financial needs.

He appealed to the government to increase the SSNIT funding allocation to the Association, to enable it to carry out its numerous activities and responsibilities.

Mr Ameyibor, a former Supervising Chief Editor of the Ghana News Agency further urged the government to support the Association by tapping into the rich experiences of pensioners, to make them still relevant to the country.

'We can still play some advisory roles, and offer our services especially in the regions, districts and grassroots for some token to enhance our lives, and also serve as a form of recognition to motivate us', he said.

Mr Ameyibor said since the anniversary launch in October this year, several activities including donations, visits to members who were currently bed-ridden, excursions, and presentation of awards to a total of 48 people for both long-service and outstanding performances, have been carried out.

The Association, he said was grateful to God for the sustenance over the past 25 years and also for expanding its membership currently to about 60,000, with branches in all the 10 regions, and in 80 districts, as well as 125 local branches at the grassroots.

The members later held a get-together to dine and wine and also cut the anniversary cake.