Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello has charged women in the state to key into the government health insurance scheme in a bid to reduce financial burdens during treatment.
Bello gave the charge, on Tuesday, in Lokoja at the inaugural symposium on GYB on women transformation in line with Beijing affirmative action.
The governor said his administration has continued to give priority to good health care service delivery adding that the Kogi Health Insurance Agency created by law will provide an efficient and sustainable mechanism of poling financial resources for strategic purchasing of health care services to confer optimal financial risk protection to all residents of Kogi State.
The governor who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, (SSG) Dr Mrs Folashade Arike Ayoade caution Women not to joke with their health adding that they remain a fulcrum in the actualization of a better Nigeria.
He, however, lauded the gesture of the National Assembly 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.
“Women are the one that is there for childbearing. It takes a healthy woman to give birth and take care of the baby. It is when you are alive that you can take care of your husband, and children. Am urging you all to make use of this golden opportunity of keying into the Kogi State Health Insurance Agency programme,” the governor added.
Earlier in her opening remarks, the Kogi State Commissioner for Women and Social Development, Hajia Fatima Kabir Buba expressed gratitude to God for making Kogi State achieve a great since it was created in 1991.
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 35per cent inclusion of women in governance and in every sector of human development.
Buba 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 stand 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 women-friendly Agricultural Revolution that will impact on 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 is poised to speedily ensure that the Commitment of Governor’s Yahaya Bello Administration in Prioritizing Health Care delivery and which is a thematic area of the new direction Agenda of his administration is actualised for the people of the state.
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