Senior citizens deserve special attention

It was in response to a request earlier made by Omokaro, who appealed for the declaration

The report recently that plans are on to declare a special day for senior citizens was well received by many Nigerians as indeed there is a need for the country to pay special attention to the senior citizens with a view to ensuring that after retirement they do not live in penury.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, said a special national day for senior citizens would be declared soon. Farouq spoke when the management team of the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) led by its Director-General, Dr Emem Omokaro, paid her a visit in Abuja.

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It was in response to a request earlier made by Omokaro, who appealed for the declaration of a national day of older persons in Nigeria within the months of August and early September 2021.

“We are also requesting for assistance to the NSCC to secure the national registration of senior citizens of Nigeria (SCN) who are 70 years and above.

“The purpose is for their effective identification for public respect, age-friendly services and concessions in banking services and facilities, road, air and rail transportation services as well as health and hospital services,” Omokaro had said.

This is indeed a welcome development. Anything to make life easier for people who have served this country in various ways and are no longer so strong to do so should be encouraged.

In other countries, senior citizens are given pride of place in all facets of national life and made to feel happy and proud for their various contributions to the development of those countries. In such countries, senior citizens are accorded special recognition in transportation, banks, healthcare services, housing, shopping malls, public events and the like. They are also entitled to subsidised leisure and holidays. Also, special commemorative events and days are marked in their honour for services done to their countries.

By contrast in Nigeria, our senior citizens hardly get such recognition. In most instances, senior citizens even struggle to get paid their gratuity and pensions as at when due, making them to be dependent on children and relatives. And oftentimes, because these children and relatives have responsibilities of their own, the elderly are at the mercy of hand outs. This should not be so. There must be a change in the country’s attitude to the elderly. Although Nigeria’s population is composed mostly of younger people, we should not however be complacent. If Nigeria does not start the process of taking care of senior citizens now, it will end up having a problem on its hands when the many young people of today become old.

So yes, we agree that a day should be set aside for them, but it must go beyond that; it should not be an empty declaration. It is also a good thing that the National Senior Citizens Centre was established, but it must work. Efforts to address the plight of senior citizens must be practical.

Government should ensure that all senior citizens who are being owed gratuity are paid and pension must be paid regularly. It is not fair for people to spend their youthful days working only to have to beg for their pension in old age. In fact there should be arrangement for even people who are not entitled to pension to get stipends that could take care of some basic needs. Buildings should be designed in such a way that senior citizens can easily access them.

At certain places, it should be factored in that senior citizens are attended to first. And in places such as banks and other public places, senior citizens should be attended to first and seats be given to them as priority. Free or subsidised health care should be provided for them as well. The notion that the country’s culture does not support old people’s homes should be discountenanced as things have changed with many relatives now unable to care for the elderly. Therefore, more old people’s homes should be built and fully equipped.

The government should also consider enacting legislation to ensure proper implementation of laws made on elderly citizen.  It is worthy of note that if citizens know that they will be cared for when they are retired, corruption could reduce as many workers may no longer feel a need to amass so much wealth while in office. We urge that the process to improve the living conditions of the elderly should commence immediately so that their final days will be worthwhile.