WE WILL PASS BILL TO PROTECT THE ELDERLY – ENUGU ASSEMBLY ASSURES

Enugu State House of Assembly has promised to pass a bill that will support the elderly and protect them from abuse.

The Deputy Speaker of the House, Mr. Uche Ugwu, made this known when he recon group of aged persons from ten communities in the state, who marched to the House to complain against the neglect and abuse of elderly.

The elders, organised by a non-governmental organisation, Dew Drop Foundation, were on a sensitization road walk tagged “Stop Elderly Abuse, Aging is a Blessing.”

The elderly are people who have advanced in years and are considered aged members of the society.

Customarily, these group of persons are care for and respected in the community as senior citizens.

However, in recent time, there have been growing complaints of neglect, disrespect and abuse of some elders by their children, supposed care givers and other members of the society.

Worried by this development, the Dew Drop Foundation, which canvasses welfare and protection of the elderly, marched with about two hundred aged men and women to some stakeholders in Enugu State to draw attention to their plights.

Setting out from Okpare Square Enugu where they converged from various communities, the elders and their organisers, first visited the Enugu State House of Assembly, carrying pla cards with different inscriptions on the concerns of the aged.

The head of the Dew Drop Foundation, Mrs. Agatha Nnaji, presented to the leadership of the House, a document on the concerns of the elders and suggestions on how to address them.

“We have come to present this document to you so that you can invite us at a round table to discuss the details; how we will shape it up into a bill.

“You know that the elderly are neglected; some come in to steal their things, their money; some challenge them while they talk and even assault them.

“We also want the proposed bill to criminalise those who abuse elders and you know because of their age, they are very weak to defend themselves and to do things for themselves.

“They need care because some of them with health challenges urinate and defecate on their bodies and some of their children or their paid care givers insult and abuse them.

“This is not right, abominable and has to stop, which is why we seek your support,” Mrs. Nnaji pleaded.

One of the elderly persons and octogenarian from Agabani Community, Mr. Sunday Okoyede, who spoke with Radio Nigeria, appealed to the government to come to their aid, complaining of loneliness, as his children and those of many aged persons, do not take care of them.

According to the octogenarian, their children “live in distant places and return home once in a year, therefore have no time for us, we never get the needed attention from them. Some of us who have one illness or another arising from old age cannot afford medi-care and good feeding; these are the reasons we beg government to help us.”

The Deputy Speaker of the House, Mr. Uche Ugwu, who welcome the elders and their organisers, promised to facilitate passage of a bill to address their needs.

“We welcome you all and thank you for coming. Truly, passage of a bill for your welfare is not beyond us; we are here for the welfare of the people of Enugu State, both young and old.

So we will do our best to discuss with the Dew Drop Foundation and thinker on putting up a bill on promoting the welfare and protection of our senior citizens and we will speedy up the passage of the bill,” the Deputy Speaker assured.

Also, the State Commissioner for Gender Affairs, Princess Peace Nnaji pledged government support to the cause.

“Everyone of us will eventually age as we pray for long life. And everyone wants to age gracefully, not abused and put to sorrow. This is because at old age, we will need care as our body will be very weak.

So the government of Enugu Stste Government led by Governor Ugwuanyi is in support of this march for proper care and welfare of the aged,” Princess Nnaji stated.

The elders and their organisers continued the road walk to the Government House, the State Judiciary headquarters and two media houses where they were addressed by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and officials of the respective heads of the placed visited.

CHUKWUBUIKE MADU