Coalition calls for establishment of ministry for elderly

By Ikenna Osuoha

Coalition of Societies for the Rights of Older People in Nigeria (COSROPIN) has called for the establishment of a special ministry to take care of the needs of the elderly in the country.

The Secretary General of the coalition, Ms May Ikokwu, made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

She said that the creation of the ministry had become imperative for the country to directly take care of the senior citizens.

Ikokwu added that President Muhammadu Buhari had in 2018 created old peoples’ homes, which was  domiciled in the Ministry of Women Affairs.

She explained that “I am in support of the call for the establishment of Ministry of Older Persons. President Muhammadu Buhari created Older Persons’ (OP) Centre in 2018 in Lagos, domiciled in Ministry of Women Affairs and it seems to have been moved to Humanitarian Affairs.

“I don’t know whether there’s budget provision for it to take off now,” she said.

Ikokwu said that issues affecting older persons could only be addressed if a ministry was specifically created for them “so that senior citizens would know where to lay their complaints when they have.

“Older people required one ministry dedicated to practically take care of their needs.”

According to her, it is time to design for the elderly a specific ministry with a minister that will be seeing to their affairs. (NAN)