Omokaro made the call in her address on the occasion of the 2022 World Elder Abuse Day on Wednesday in Abuja.
The event with the theme, ‘`Mobilising National Age friendly Support Network for Senior Citizens’’ was organised by NSCC.
“Today is significant because it is a day set aside to create significant awareness on elder abuse. We are here to talk about elder abuse and solutions to the issues.
“Ageing is not a sickness; it is a process which is characterised some challenges. It is a process of becoming older. It is a progressive change that leads to an increased risk in disability, disease and death. It is about longevity.
“When a society looks at aging as elders contributing to the society, the environment will be supportive, but when such is lacking, you will see older persons losing their minds, facing rejection and becoming vulnerable.
“Aging gives rooms to abuse and discrimination. Some people refer to them as witches and wizards, and all these leads to discrimination and abuse.
“NSCC is enjoining everyone today to join the campaign to stop the abuse and discrimination of older persons. Our intention is to identify needs of the older persons and address them,” Omokaro said.
The NSCC boss said that the centre would look at income, security, healthcare and continued engagement with older person, adding that they (elders) have so much to give to the society.
She stressed that the engagement would provide opportunity for life-long learning to enhance effective and beneficial intergenerational interaction.
“I want to assure all Nigerians that we are on the right track of partnership, strategy and collaboration to move forward.
“We want to see an inclusive Nigeria where older persons can live dignify, happy, healthier and fulfilled life,” Omokaro said.
Speaking, the President, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Mr Chris Isiguzo, said this was the first time that Senior Citizens were being celebrated.
Isiguzo said that people normally protest against child abuse and women’s right, adding that it was also necessary to protest against abuse of older persons.
“I must have to applaud the government for waking up from 11 years slumber to make us care for the elders. Establishment of NSCC is one of the key efforts.
“This should be replicated at the state and local government levels, so that they will care for the elderly; not only at NSCC, but the 774 local government areas in the country.
“The care for the elderly should be the responsibility of all and sundry,” Isiguzo said.
He said further that the inauguration of NSCC Press Corps would go a long way to put issues of older persons on the front page of Newspapers and on the front burner.
Isiguzo called on Nigerians to always respect older persons during election, especially at polling units or boots.
Similarly, Mr Emmanuel Ogbeche, the NUJ FCT Council Chairman, called on Omokaro to build the capacity of members of the NSCC Press Corps to enable them report issues of older persons and the centre.
“As a council, we will continue to support what the centre is doing, because, you have come very far on issues of older persons”
Meanwhile, Dr Ogugua Osi-Ogbu of the Geriatrics Association of Nigeria has said that ageing was multi-sectoral therefore all hands should be on deck.
“We want to see Nigeria where older persons are respected and cared for. We must renounce those practices that discriminate against older persons”.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that high points of the occasion was the inauguration of NSCC Press Corps and the award of certificates to Older Persons Desk Officers from 32 MDAs that were recently trained in Abuja.
The event attracted officials from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, National Identity Management Commission, National Health Insurance Scheme, National Orientation Agency, NAPTIP, National Union of Pensioners and many others.
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