NGO advocates more support for older persons
By Adewale Owoade
The President of Coalition of Societies for the Rights of Older Persons in Nigeria (COSROPIN), Dr Eze Ajoku, says older persons need more support from government to live meaningful lives.
Ajoku said this at a hangout programme organised for the elderly by COSROPIN in Ibadan.
He explained that the Rights and Privileges of Older Persons Bill, which received speedy passage by the 9th Assembly but was not assented to, would have created the necessary support for older persons.
“We are hoping that when we re-present that bill, it will receive a speedy passage once again by the Senate, and this president will not hesitate in signing it.
“We have continued to dialogue with the government to find ways of helping older persons; we are pushing for health insurance.
“We are also pushing for some monthly incentives for older persons to be able to have some money to buy their drugs and their medications.
“Our organisation nationally is working to look after older persons to make sure that they can increase their lives and end up well.
“We want these people to be well and healthy for their families, for their communities and to be able to mentor the younger generation,” Ajoku said.
In his remarks, the State Coordinator of COSROPIN, Mr Olayinka Ajomole, said that since loneliness is one of the major factors that affect elderly persons, the organisation opts for hang outs as a solution.
“We’ve discovered over the years that as our people get older in age, they get socially isolated and their interaction with others reduces.
“Medical science has shown that loneliness is a great killer, so the whole idea is to have hangouts regularly like this where you bring in older persons to socialise, play games, do exercises and interact among themselves.
“That is the whole essence of the programme, that if we have regular programmes like this, it will improve their health because health is a total thing.
“It includes your social and medical wellbeing, so their coming together in the whole essence is to improve their health through social interaction,” Ajomole said.
The funding partner of the organisation, Voice Global, commended COSROPIN for the initiative.
Its Programme Manager, Ishita Dutta, called for more focus on the needs of elderly persons in the country.
“We are here at this elderly hangout event organised by COSROPIN, we are very proud of the activities the COSROPIN is organising.
“We understood today that in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, this is the 10th state in Nigeria that they are able to organise this programme.
“Considering that elderly persons are often left out of government’s development policies, we strongly believe in an initiative like the one that is being carried out by COSROPIN and we wish them all the success for the future,” Dutta said.
One of the beneficiaries who is a retired soldier, Pa Abraham Odeyale, said that what they had learnt will go a long way in their lives.
“I have benefited a lot from this programme and this that I’ve learnt this morning shall be perennial in the sense that it is quite unbeatable, particularly for elderly people, because they do not want us to die early.
“All that we have learnt today is a great benefit for all, and I believe as I benefited from it so also my colleagues have, the Lord will uphold and sustain every one of us in Jesus name,” Odeyale prayed.
The beneficiaries at the event played games, received medical care, talks from representatives of National Health Insurance Scheme, medical practitioners, and danced to exercise their bodies. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
