Ottih Nwaka, co-chair/facilitator for the Abia State Stakeholders Consultative Forum on Ageing, has urged the governor, Alex Otti, to sign the Senior Citizens’ Centre Bill recently passed by the House of Assembly into law.
Nwaka appealed while speaking to LEADERSHIP Sunday at Umuahia Township Stadium, Umuahia, the state capital, after a walk for life show organised by senior citizens in the state.
“We thank God the Bill has been passed to that effect and we appeal to the governor, Alex Otti, to sign it into law, so that the services and care for the senior citizens will start,” he said.
In an earlier address, the commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Blessing Felix, said the show speaks to the crucial need to empower the senior citizens to live longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives.
Represented by her technical assistant, Obinna Uzuebgu, she explained that the ministry would establish a centre for long-term care and support for elderly citizens.
The commissioner noted that the show’s theme, “Senior Citizens Healthy Ageing Promotion and Walk for Life,” was timely and added that the show aligns with the ministry’s mandate.
In a health talk on ageing, medical practitioner Kelechi Onyeri underlined the need for elderly people to care for their health and consult their doctors regularly properly.
