Hope rises over plight of older persons as Ajayi, others call for creation of fed. ministry

…Rallys support for bill to NASS

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

Chief Ajayi Nicholas adekunle Chidiebere, has said that government and younger generation can only beat their chests in fulfillment for thier support and care to our senior citizens(the aged), when genuine and concerted efforts are made to establish a ministry or at worst a commission for the aged in Nigeria and vowed to lead the campaign from the front.

AJAYI a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) made the declaration when he received award of honour(Ambassador) in recognition of his selfless services to humanity,care giving and support to the elderlies by the Senior Citizens Association of Nigeria(SCAN), Ejigbo chapter during the 2024 International day of Older Persons commemorated at the Ejigbo Local Council Development Area(LCDA) secretariat.

Chief and Mrs Ajayi

Ajayi, a former board member of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi(FIIRO), who was also installed patron of the Ejigbo SCAN said, to achieve the desired respect and person-centric aged services to the senior citizens, there is need for a ministry for the aged similar to Ministries of Youths and Women Affairs presently in existence, stated that such a ministry will cater for their needs as it’s operated in other countries of the world.

He revealed that he will galvanize the needed support to initiate and forward a communal bill to the national assembly for the creation of the ministry to see to the wellbeing of these our elderly fathers and mothers who have given so much to lubricate the wheels of this country.

Ajayi receiving his award from Elder Joseph Taiwo National President of SCAN

“I was humbled when I was told that our senior citizens have chosen to honour me, I accepted with every sense of humility.

“The National Senior Citizens Centre(NSCC) Act passed into law in 2017(NSCC Act,2017) has not attracted any support for the elders in the country, their existence has not gone beyond the agency’s office in Abuja. Most unfortunately, day in day out we keep reciting ‘the labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain’.

“Some countries have what they call Ministry of Aged Care, through the ministry, they release substantial fund for the provision of equitable aged care system, placing the system on a more sustainable financial footing. If no urgent and deliberate efforts are made to get this ministry or commission established, affairs of our senior citizens will be in limbo for the foreseeable future.

“It’s high time we begin to recognize them. The minimum the nation could do is to pass a legislation and give them Senior Citizens Commission. If a ministry is not coming immediately.”

Ajayi said something needs to be done today or tomorrow. Promised to partner with SCAN and other good spirited Nigerians in engaging a lawyer who would prepare the bill.

Further maintained that everything about legislation narrows down to lobbying. “It’s ripe to have Ministry for Senior Citizens. We are going to champion it. People think it’s only the legislatures that can prepare and forward bills, no, there are private and communal bills.

“If the senior citizens here in Nigeria can come together and mobilize about 10,000 signatories with at least 350 from each of the federating states of the federal republic of Nigeria and send it to the national assembly, with their age, NIN and signatures to prove they are citizens, I assure you, it will scale through at the national assembly and get to the president for accent.”

The new patron of SCAN expressed delight in this new responsibility stated it gives him joy seeing himself in the midst of the elderly, therefore professed, ‘therein lies the wisdom because i wants to learn every day’.

The host Chairman, Ejigbo SCAN Pastor Amos Johnson, said the association in Ejigbo has created opportunity and a rendezvous for elderly persons in the area to come out and interact among themselves, play such games as draft, whot, ludo and etc, as well as relish in their old time memories.

He stated that though the 2024 International Day of Older Persons was celebrated globally on the 1st of October, they have scheduled their own in Ejigbo at this convenient date(26/10/2024) to accommodate the three-in-one programme slated for the day’s anniversary: picnic, awards and health talk/tests.

On the awardees, he said they are nine Nigerians, men and women of repute who have been supporting the association through various means. Special mention was made of Alhaji Bashir Adejumo, for releasing to them the renowned Adejumo Tennis Club Ilamoshe, for their meetings and recreational activities at no cost.

“By the grace of God, we have nine of them we are honouring today as our ambassadors. We are looking up to raising the number to 12 next year. They are those who would be at the background working for senior citizens. They are men and women of timber and caliber. We are grateful to them.

”We gather every month at Adejumo Tennis Club to play games and have refreshments because most of us can no longer be on the road, dragging, moving to and fro Abuja and back to Lagos for work or contract.

“We are commemorating the International Day of Older Persons. We decided to make our own a three-in-one event. We have canopy where those who knows how to play games could go and enjoy themselves, we have chase game, monopoly, draft game and etc. One of our awardees, a champion in draft game is here to slug it out with anyone who could stand him. We have health talks and tests for our members also,” he concluded.

Elder Taiwo

In his speech the national president of SCAN, Elder Joseph kayode Taiwo, who presented most of the awards to the awardees congratulated them for such honour to them, stated that reward for great work is more work. He asserted that senior citizens deserve respect and care, commended the Ejigbo chapter chairman of SCAN for surmounting all odds to make it possible for the senior citizens to gather such often to keep, and teach themselves how to be healthy.

“for the Ejigbo chapter, the sporting facilities at the Adejumo Tennis Club has been of immense advantage. When we gather, we teach ourselves how to be healthy, not frequenting hospitals. We take advantage of retired doctors among us, our children who are doctors and retired matrons among us to attend to our health.

In all, we can strive to support ourselves since government at various levels have failed to do the needful for senior citizens in Nigeria.

Speaking in the same vain, the first national secretary of SCAN, Elder Mrs. Christiana Akitoye said whereas the International Day of Older Persons is celebrated every 1st October globally, Nigeria earmarked 5th October for her own celebration.

She feels so elated and at the same time consoled that some other persons have bought into the vision of creating ministry for the elderly here in Nigeria, a course she has been championing for over 10 years now.

Elder Mrs Akitoye

She regretted that many people give little or no attention to elders which boils down to the kind of treatment government of the day gives to the aged. She recalled that in the past, government used to sponsor elders on picnic; today no one pays attention to their needs.

She said they have drawn a ten- point agenda they want to present to the government which include free medical care, free transport ride on certain days, and others.

She wondered why the government would not prioritize such gestures as taking elderly persons on a free ride at lest once in a month or bimonthly bearing in mind they do not have reason to be on the road often.

“Somebody was telling me that government does not recognize people from 60 years and above to go to the bank or to the market whereas people at 90 are going to the grocery stores to buy their groceries in other countries at governments discount.

“Government seems to be callous over the plight of the aged, ordinary pathways for them to walk on has not been provided, and that’s part of the issues we have been hammering on. Today, if you are in a bus, small children will not like to stand up, what’s going on? It boils down to the way our government is handling issues of the aged.”

Rev Enimigin

One of the awardees Rev. Oritsenye Ochuko Enimigin, expressed his delight over the award. He aligns with Chief ajayi on need to create ministry for the elderly.

He enjoined other senior citizens to identify with the association reeling out the various benefits he derives from being in a member of SCAN which include regular information on health, knowledge sharing, wisdom impacting and international recognition.

He enjoined youths to trace the path of honour, respect the elders like it was in the days past. “the youths are the ones who should know that giving respect to their parents is something that those who respect the elderly pave their own road toward success,” he said.

Alhaji Adejumo

Alhaji Bashir Adejumo, the managing director of Adejumo Tennis Club who received ambassadorial award, patron and membership identity card of Ejigbo SCAN said he felt he has not done much to deserve an award notwithstanding the very many compliments to him. That he had no choice than to accept the honour coming from elders which to him was blessing and a rare privilege.

Adejumo bemoaned that most elders are elders in age but bereft in wisdom that goes with their age. They have failed to live up to the billing.

He said, “Most of our so called elders today lack what it takes to answer one. We need to teach our children the importance and what they stand to gain from respecting elders which is sure way to longevity.

“For us senior citizens, we must try as much as possible to make ourselves happy and exercise regularly.”

Representative of Engr Ganiyu Johnson at the event

Nine persons were awarded as ambassadors while six persons were on hand to receive their awards as ambassadors and decoration as patrons and matron.

Those awarded include: Engr. Ganiyu Abiodun Johnson, Hon. Chief Ajayi Nicholas Adekunle Chidiebere, Rev. Oritseneye Ochuko Enemigin, Pastor Mrs. Stella Olaide Akhimei and Envangelist John Bankole Agunsoye JP.

Others are Alhaji Bashir Akinola Adejumo, Hon. Kehinde Oladapo Bamigbetan, Alh. Nurudeen Olalekan Okuleye and Elder Ezekiel Ayanyinka Onilude.