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Group Harps On Well Being of Elderly This Day A non-governmental organisation (NGO)
under the aegis of Centre for Social Policy (CSP) based in Ibadan, the Oyo
State Capital, has declared its intention to improve on awareness and
understanding of the situation, problems, needs and rights of older
persons in the society. Executive Director of CSP, Ibadan, and
Project Coordinator , Dr. Dayo Akeredolu-Ale, who made this known at a
media briefing and consultation on the theme: "Promoting the Well
Being of the Elderly," said the Centre for Social Policy and
Community Health, a not-for-profit organisation, founded on September 25,
1994, was to contribute significantly towards the emergence and
consolidation in Nigeria in particular, and Africa in general, of a
social-policy environment that facilitates and guarantees the attainment
of adequate and sustainable human development and human welfare. The
Centre, which, he said, promotes the social policy development and social
development projects, with particular reference to poverty alleviation,
reduction and control; social security; health care; education; other
social services; the status and wellbeing of youths, women, the elderly
and the disabled; population and environment; community organisation, self
development; civil rights education and defence, embarked on the
initiative "to draw the attention of the society at large, the
nation's political leadership and policy makers in all sectors to this
undesirable situation". He stated that the ultimate purpose was
to place this important social issue firmly on the nation's human
development agenda and to stimulate responses and interventions that would
restore to the aged and the elderly in the society the care, security,
overall well-being and dignity to which they are entitled by virtue of the
norms of every cultural community. Presenting a paper entitled: "
Nigerian Press and the Advancement of Social Justice", the Executive
Director said the press is a powerful institution, especially in the sense
that it wields considerable influence over the conduct of public affairs,
which is why it makes sense to describe it as 'the fourth estate of the
realm. "We must say that the press
performs a societal-orientation or agenda-setting function, in addition to
providing information, education and entertainment. "That very important function is
performed by the press through its information and educational activities,
but much more directly through the moulding of public opinion, social
investigations, social criticism and the advocacy of particular policy
orientations and courses of action", he said. On the plight of older persons, he said
"the plight and agonies of pensioners, the rapid increase in the
number of elderly Nigerians, who are compelled to live by begging in all
our major cities and the sub-human and deplorable condition and life
quality of elderly people in the rural areas are all concrete proof that
we are no longer taking adequate care of our elderly citizens". He said many recent studies, as well as
reports in the Nigerian press, have also highlighted the low and declining
life quality of older persons, saying that the most serious problems,
facing the overwhelming majority of the elderly in Nigeria today include
amongst others, poverty, income insecurity and the various deprivations,
which go with these, in the areas of health, nutrition, housing
conditions, recreation, social interaction and lack of health care
services. He urged the Federal Government to lead
the way and accept the primary and ultimate responsibility for the
adequate funding of programmes for the well-being of older persons.
Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging |
