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The National Pensioners Association (NPA) has warned the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to satisfy the needs of its members since it would not be able to restrain them from pressing home their demand. According to the association, its members were mad when SSNIT announced an increase of GH�10 across board for all pensioners in December, last year. The announcement, the association said, was received with anger by members, adding that the leadership of the association was able to manage the situation by preventing demonstrations. Speaking at a press conference themed: �Age Demands Action to bring to the front burner issues relating to growing old in Ghana,� the General Secretary of the association, Edward Ameyibor urged the government to move from sympathy into action to address the problems. He disclosed that salary levels in Ghana have always been low, so pensions are low, but the cost of living, medical bills and goods in the markets are expensive. He advised the government to take their appeal seriously by creating a special fund to support pensions below the minimum wage, adding, �We are saying no pensioner should earn anything lower than the minimum wage.� The association wants the necessary adjustments made to support other pensioners every year, adding that since those working and retired go to the same market, government should take interest in pensioners and older people. Remember, older persons form seven percent of the population, he added. He revealed that government failed to come to the aid of the pensioners after series of meetings with the leadership of SSNIT and the government itself over the issues. Edward Ameyibor said the SSNIT pension�s scheme, Cap 30 and the Consolidated Fund into which all government revenues are placed have not helped. �We took the case to the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare in March 2011 asking for a pensions income support from the government since it was obvious SSNIT would not be of much help. We received a lot of sympathy, but I regret all that happened. We went to government because we believed it would be able to help us especially our members who went on pension in the early 1990s when salaries were very low and had not been consolidated in most workplaces.� �It would surprise you to know that after 20 years of being on retirement, some of our members still earn pensions below GH�100 a month. In fact, the lowest paid pensioner gets GH�52 per month�How much can this do for any individual in our circumstances today.� Explaining further, he revealed that 50 percent of the 107,000 SSNIT pensioners earn GH�100 or less a month. Following the publication of SSNIT�s income this year, which was impressive, the General Secretary disclosed that the pensioners have become increasingly agitated, questioning why SSNIT was sending them early into their graves by being so �tight fisted� despite having enough funds.