Gov. Yahaya Bello urges women to embrace government’s health insurance scheme

Story from Rabi’atu, Lokoja

Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Adoza Bello, has urged women to key into the state government’s health insurance scheme towards overcoming their health challenges.

Governor Bello gave the charge on Tuesday in Lokoja in a message to the inaugural symposium on GYB women transformation which he noted was in line with Beijing affirmative action.

The Governor said his administration has continued to give priority to effective health care service delivery, stressing that the Kogi health insurance agency established by law will provide an efficient and sustainable mechanism of poling financial resources for health planning and implementation.

According to him, it is also aimed at strategic purchasing of health care services to confer optimal financial risk protection to the people of Kogi State, saying health is wealth.

The Governor who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government,  Doctor  Folashade Arike Ayoade cautioned Women not to toy with their health as women remain significant in the actualization of a better Nigeria.

He commended the lawmakers representing Kogi East, Senator Jibrin Ochocho and his Western counterpart, Senator Smart Adeyemi for providing financial support to 1000 pregnant Women each under the Kogi State Health Insurance Agency scheme.

Earlier in her opening remarks, the Kogi State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Fatima Kabir Buba expressed gratitude to God for taking Kogi State to greater heights even above its contemporaries.

Continuing, Buba said, “It is all about Kogi State our own State. If we cannot celebrate Kogi State, we are ungrateful to God. Bearing in mind all the vices around the states, including the northern-central zone, the killings, kidnappings, insecurity here and there, scams, robberies, child trafficking, ritual killings, Covid-19 Pandemic, name it, Kogi State remains unshaken, secured and divinely covered.”

She stressed further that Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has taken the lead in line with the Beijing declaration of 1995 on women affirmation and the implementation of gender policy on women about attaining 35% inclusion of women in governance and in every sector of human development.

The Commissioner explained that a woman in decision-making is empowered politically and by implication, economically.

“Permit me to say here that, the State, the womenfolk have never had it so good as it is in the present administration. Our new direction agenda purposeful and gender-friendly Governor has since assumption of office been promoting gender equality and ensuring that women are empowered to contribute their quota to the development of the state, bearing in mind that, when a woman is empowered, a nation is empowered.

“Our own Governor has not only promoted women representation but has also encouraged women active participation in power structures and in decision making.

As it stands today, many sectors, parastatals, agencies and major offices are loaded by women in the state. We have the pleasure and honour to have a number of them seated here. His Excellency has also gone out of his way to embark on a women-friendly agricultural revolution that will impact the lives of women economically,” she added.

Speaking on the launching of Women Advocacy for Social Health Insurance, Dr Aledare Adekunle, Executive Secretary, Kogi State Health Insurance Agency said the agency was poised to speedily ensure that the commitment of Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration in prioritizing health care delivery and was part of the thematic areas of the new direction agenda of his administration which must be actualized for the benefit of the people of Kogi State.