NDOP: NSCC Assures Continuous Support To Older Persons, donates palliatives

Maryam Aminu

The National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC), has assured that the Centre will continue to support Older Persons in the country.

NSCC DG, Dr Emem Omokaro represented by the Head, Elder Justice, Stakeholder Engagements and Community Relations, Olive Onono gave the assurance on Tuesday the NSCC team visited St Ann’s HOSPICE Gwagwalada and Amazing Grace Foundation Kado Estate in the Federal Capital Territory, to mark the Maiden National Day of Older Persons (NDOP), in Nigeria. NSCC also presented gifts to the facilities which she said would help address some of their challenges.

Speaking on ensuring access to good-quality essential health services;and special identity cards for older persons, Onono disclosed that the centre is in partnership with necessary bodies that will make things easy for the senior citizens of Nigeria

“We tagged this day ‘A Day Out With Older Persons’, because we want to commit to engage with older people, in all their diversities, to hear and amplify their voices, and ultimately, to realise the progress that is so critically needed

“We also have some form of partnership with NIMC, Primary Health Care and others to care for Older Persons

“We have some programmes like indigenous led craft that showcase talents by older persons in every state of the federation. They will identify three craft and we support them,” Omokaro said.

Speaking also, the Founder Amazing Grace Foundation, Dr Mary Ifeayinwa Obegolu, expressed gratitude at the visit by officials of the NSCC.

“It shows that they are now coming down to interact with the people who are directly affected by their rules and regulations or by the work they are doing.

She proposed that a health and welfare scheme for the aged are provided to take care of them, especially the poor and vulnerable older persons.

“There should be a programme for them to enable them to be integrated into the society; and for us who are handling them, NSCC should partner with us to give the 1,860 of them in our care,” Obegolu added

The theme of this year’s NDOP is, “Celebrating the Resilience of Older Women and Men: From Resilience to Empowerment,”