DOF, GERAN urge Buhari to consider older persons as special category for COVID-19 social assistance

Anietie Udobit,Abuja

Dave Omokaro Foundation and Gerontology Association of Nigeria (GERAN) have urged the President and the Federal government apparatus in charge of dispensing the palliatives, to consider older persons as a special category for the COVID- 19 social assistance.

The organizations appreciated the Federal Government of Nigeria for the interventions and appealed for a well thought out and all – inclusive implementation framework and stakeholder engagement mechanism.

Executive Director of Dave Omokaro Foundation and President GERAN, Mrs Emem Omokaro, who extolled various government Social assistance programs, like unconditional cash transfers to poor households; the home grown school feeding program; the N -Power Initiative for youth; Trader Money; Farmer Money, said it would be therefore safe to assume, that these already existing programs would be expanded as special vehicle or Mechanisms for the COVID-19 palliative treatment as announced by the President.

The organizations also express concern about how the government would ensure, that poor Nigerians, hitherto not captured in the current operating data base are not Left Behind. “That discrimination on the bases of age, gender, disability, ethnicity and location be checked and a proper mechanism that would guarantee the reach of those furthest from the first be firstly put in place.

“Specifically, in its current form, the implementation of the social protection programs has no social assistance or market labour programs dedicated to poor senior citizens; the Senior citizens Act signed in 2018 still has no strategic implementation plan and therefore, there are no health care, economic empowerment or social pensions programs for senior citizens as legislated.

“There are obvious gaps in the existing Social Investment Program approach to cash transfers, which targets Poor Households, which leave older household members falling through the cracks.

“The current approach makes the assumption about non- discrimination of older persons and neglects the chronic health condition and the out of pocket expenditure on health care” Omakoro said.

The group said the experiences of other countries has exposed the severe risk older persons more than other demographics face should they contract COVID -19 and also spot -lighted the health and socio-economic inequalities older persons encounter.

“More than ever before, government should take deliberate steps to check age discrimination by ensuring that the palliative measures target older persons in the short term while instituting a dedicated Social pensions – (old age grant) for means tested poor and vulnerable older persons in Nigeria just as it does for children, youth and business owners”.