By Banji Ayoola
Empowerment is on the way for the elderly in Ondo State, as the state government on Wednesday started the collation of the senior citizens’ data with a view to giving them adequate care in their old age when they need help most.
Indeed, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, at this year’s National Senior Citizens Day celebration in Akure, the state capital, asked the elders to furnish his administration with their personal data as regards their occupations, abilities and areas of interest where they could add value to governance in the state and also to themselves.
He commended the Federal Government for aligning Nigeria with the 14 December 1919 Resolution 25/106 of the United Nations General Assembly, which designated 1st of October as the International Day of older persons “who we normally refer to as the senior citizens.”
Akeredolu specifically praised the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for establishing the National Senior Citizens Day which he described as a strategic and innovative programme that will meaningfully address the challenges being faced by older persons in the country.
He was represented at the occasion by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Mrs. Julianah Adebunmi Oshadahun.
This year’s National Day Celebration of Nigerian Senior Citizens, held under the theme: “Celebrating the Resilience of older Persons: From Resilience to Empowerment.”
Delivering the governor’s message, the commissioner said: “Some of you have retired at various professions; and that is why after now, Mr. Governor, your Governor said that we should have your data.
“Tell us what you were doing before, what you can still do and tell us in the areas of your interests where you believe you would still be of value to the government of Ondo State.”
She described the elderly as a group of senior citizens who have devoted their energies in their youthful age to serving their fatherland, and even other countries, and are now back at home.
Her words: “The elderly, in view of the immense contributions to their fatherland, there is need for your recognition, inclusiveness as being highlighted by Mr. Governor, your Governor. It is not only coming to take the pension.
“Some of you have retired at various professions; and that is why after now, your Governor said that we should have your data. Tell us what you were doing before, what you can still do and tell us in the areas of your interests where you believe you would still be of value to the government of Ondo State.
“That is where you belong, and that is where you can be further empowered. That would be a way of appreciation for your efforts of the past and it will further enhance your importance socially, economically, politically which is in line with the national policy framework for the elderly.
“Mr. Governor is highly appreciated for providing various windows of opportunities that would guarantee state security, independence, participation in a way of addressing our needs, eliminating neglect, disconnection and stigmatisation of older persons. It is good considering the stigma that the older people used to become burden.
“But because of the value that Mr. Governor is placing on every individual person in Ondo State, young or old, that is why he says I should greet you that though he is unavoidably absent, he celebrates you at your age and celebrates every contribution you are making into Ondo State in any corner where you find yourselves.
“Therefore it will be novel to accord our elderly persons true celebrations. The next celebration, we would add value to it. We would celebrate it in a grand style through the Ministry.
“The general perception of the older person is one who is helpless. That had been. Most elderly persons are helpless. Mr. Governor asked me to tell you that he is aware that most elderly persons are helpless. Many have children who are jobless and cannot perform their expected role.
“As we are getting older, there are some things that are natural – changes in the nature of a man that come uninvited. These are areas where government is needed to intervene.
“Therefore the administration is ever ready to provide and ensure access to quality ‘A’ health services that are promoting, preventive, curative and rehabilitative for our elderly persons.
“I would advise. Please let us see what you have in mind, and what your requests are, so that we can be able to table these before the administration of our father. E ti fi gbogbo aaro yin se iwon iba ti agbara yin le se; but sometimes you could be retired but not tired.
“Let us have your data, what you can do in your areas of interest of adding value to the government of Ondo State.”
Mrs Oshadahun also enjoined the elders as guidance counselors, to join the staff of her ministry to counsel the growing number of youth, particularly girls who parade the streets naked wearing crazy jeans, trousers, hairstyles, torn clothes and rags.
Besides, she noted that Nigeria today is facing quite a number of challenges while the 2023 is around the corner; as she appealed to the elders to prevail on the youth on the need to conduct themselves responsibly and peacefully.
In a paper titled “Medical check-up for the elderly”, a former Director of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, in the state, Mr. Bode Famose, stressed the need for the elders to pay adequate attention to their health, quoting Hippocrates: “A wise man ought to realize that health is his most valuable possession”
He said: “It’s no mystery that taking care of your physical well-being is extremely important to your health and happiness. Yet, the average man leads a busy stressed-out–life which takes its toll on his or her health and worsens progressively in old age.
“Health and wellness is usually placed on the back burner and medical check-up which is the thrust of prevention of non-communicable diseases is usually neglected.”
Famose said that many factors affect health, some of which cannot be controlled, such as genetic makeup or age; noting that “most medical challenges in the elderly develop in adulthood and progress and usually worsen in the old age especially if not properly managed.”
However, he said: “By taking steps toward healthy living and screening, you can help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke and other serious diseases that starts in adulthood, progress in the elderly with high morbidity and mortality.”
He counseled: “Today, your vital organs (kidney, heart, lungs, gall bladder, liver, stomach, intestines, etc.) may be working well, but they may not be tomorrow. Don’t take your good health today for granted. Put your faith into action by checking your health status.
“Are you engaged in the process of physical well being? Do I know important health indices, like my cholesterol, weight, blood pressure and blood sugar levels?”
Also, he advised them to go for annual physical examination or medical check-up, get sufficient amount of sleep, and have an established exercise routine to improve the state of their physical wellness and health.
The former NOA State Director listed common health concerns for women over 50 years to iclude Menopause, Cancer risk, Memory loss/brain fog, Obesity, Joint issues/arthritis, Vitality, Vision, and Stroke/cardiac risk factor,
Also he listed common health concerns for men over 50 years as Loss of libido, Obesity, Joint issue, Memory loss or brain fog, Loss of muscle tone and function, Vitality Cancer risk,
Stroke or cardiac risk, and Problem with vision.
He stressed the need for Comprehensive Health Check-Up to prevent escalation of diseases and health issues that show no sign or symptoms before they get out of hand; identify any risk factors so that they can be controlled and managed in good time; and prevent pain of living with a disease that is not diagnosed and the agony of not knowing when physical health deteriorate.
Famose said: “Every successful man’s aspiration in life is to leave an inspiring, admirable and meaningful legacy when they depart.”
In his own presentation titled “NSCC, Expectation, Act 2017 Law and the Need for Domestication in Ondo State”, the Vice Chairman, Ondo State Stakeholders Consultative Forum on Ageing, Venerable Ambassador Nelson Fadoju, highlighted the history, functions, composition of the board, funding of the National Senior Citizens Centre Act which was signed by President Buhari on December 24, 2018.
He said that the law lists social security benefits for senior citizens from age 62 though social security office reports that 67 is the age of retirement while the centre is to cater for the welfare of citizens from age 70.
His words: “The term senior citizen typically refers to someone who is retired and above the age of 60 or 65.”
He disclosed that there were 14.9 million older persons in Nigeria by 2019. This figure, according to him, will triple to 29 million in 2050.
Besides, Fadoju drew the connection between the Act, UN Charter/Convention and plans; African Charter on the Rights of Elders or Persins with Disability; Protocol to the African Charter on Social Protection/All Social Agenda 2063 under Aspirations to Pursue the goal of “High Standard of Living, equality of Life and well being for all citizens; Global SDGS Agenda 2030 on Well being including poverty eradication, zero hunger, health and well being gender equality, water resources, education – long learning opportunities to which African Union has acceded.
In her welcome address to the maiden event, the co-chairman of the National Senior Citizens Centre and Ondo State Stakeholders Consultative Forum On Ageing, Mrs Rachael Funwa Agbi, said that the October 1 International Day for the Older Persons has been shifted in Nigeria to the 5th because of the clash with the National Independence Day celebrations.
She said: “The theme this year is Celebrating the Resilience of the Older Persons. It is indicative of the goodness of being alive and well in old age.
“This is in sharp contrast to the perennial picture of the aged being sick and dependent. The older Persons also matter.
“It is fascinating to know how much is going on in this regard at the National Senior Citizens Center in Abuja under the the indefatigable and passionate DG Dr.Emem Omakaro. She has done a lot in this field and we are most grateful to her.
“We appreciate the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari and by extension, the Honorable Minister of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, for the political will to establish and drive this laudable initiative.
“The aim of the Policy is to have NSCC in all the states of the Federation. We sincerely hope this will eventually be achieved when the Policy is fully domesticated in Ondo state.
“Let me quickly commend the Ondo State Government and the Ministry of Women Affairs for the warm reception of this program and support given through the Welfare Department of the Ministry.”
Also, Mrs Agbi presented a paper titled: “An Overview of the Activities of the National Senior Citizens’ Steering Committee of the Ondo State Stakeholders Consultative Forum on Ageing.”
In an interview with The Radiance at the occasion, an elder-statesman and a former commissioner in the Adebayo Adefarati administration, Chief Korede Duyile, commended the Akeredolu administration and the Federal Government over the novel programme which he believed would be a relief to the elderly.
He particularly described the planned empowerment of senior citizens in the state by the state government as “a beautiful thing” and “one of the things happening in the recent that have impressed me.”
The elder-statesman said: “Having programmes for the elderly is necessary for they are at ages when government should come to their aid. For a long time there had been no recognition or care for the elderly. Now that this is coming, it is commendable.”
However, he advised that the NSCC Act should be domesticated in Ondo State “so that we can have legal basis for actions.”
He said: “What we are doing here today is for all the elders in the state, but not for ourselves alone. We want to see how we can assist in taking care of the elderly all over the state.”
Duyile counseled: “With the way things are going, setting up of the stakeholders forum and the law, we hope things will improve and get better.
“Some of us have had the opportunity to travel outside this country. We know how elders, senior citizens are treated, free transportation, free health care, free many things, because they recognise their contributions made in the past and now at their old age, they are taking care of them.
“The elders don’t have to start running around for what to eat, or where to live again. There are provisions for those needs. I hope we will move to that level as we go on.”
