Group Demands Creation of Ministry for Elderly Citizens

AN on-Governmental Organisation has called for the creation of the Ministry of Elderly Citizens( ME C ), and the enunciation of policies that would take care of the needs of elderly people in Nigeria.

The call was made by the Executive Director, Center for Gender Economics Africa (CGE Africa), Ms. Uchenna Idoko, during a recent media round table to call attention to the abuses being suffered by elderly people in the society.

Idoko said the MEC was needed because the abuses of elders were very endemic in most parts of the country to warrant a ministry that is dedicated to them so that all these abuses could be taken care.

She added that Nigeria had no agency that is exclusively meant for the care of the elderly men and women .“The Ministry of Youth sand

Sports Development was created to specifically deal with the youths while there is none that specifically at tends to the needs of elderly people. That is why some countries call it the Ministry of Gender to take care of both elderly men and women. We need to call it an issue because,” she said. Idoko said that preventing and reporting abuse suffered by elders to law enforcement agencies should be everyone’s responsibility.

She also noted that it was worrisome that Nigeria had never signed any known specific international or United Nations’ agreement for old persons. Nigeria, according to her, in 2014 joined other nations around the world to adopt a resolution (E/ RES/2014/7) at the United Nations Economic and Social Council that recognised ageism as the common source of, the justification for and the driving force behind age discrimination.