Akwa Ibom State Government is set to expand its senior citizens welfare programme beyond Uyo, with Governor Umo Eno announcing plans to establish centres for the elderly across the state’s three senatorial districts.
The proposed expansion is expected to provide more elderly residents with access to healthcare, recreation, social interaction and other support services, as the administration moves to institutionalise its interventions for senior citizens.
The governor made the disclosure while responding to a national recognition conferred on him as the Pioneer National Patron of the National Council of Nigerian Senior Citizens (NACONSEC).
Eno, who was represented by his Delivery Adviser on the Senior Citizens Centre, Dr Itanwan James, said the existing Senator Oluremi Tinubu Senior Citizens Centre should be more than a healthcare facility, but also function as a community hub where elderly people could maintain active social lives.
He urged senior citizens to take advantage of the centre’s recreational and healthcare facilities, stressing the importance of social interaction and active living in old age.
The planned expansion comes against the backdrop of existing welfare interventions by the administration, including pension payments, settlement of outstanding gratuities, healthcare support, enrolment of senior citizens in ARISE Care and monthly stipends under the ARISE initiative for the Elderly.
National Coordinator of NACONSEC, Prof. Ekanem Jacob, disclosed that about 12,000 elderly persons had so far benefited from the monthly support programme.
He said the interventions were particularly significant given the challenges confronting senior citizens, including loneliness, economic vulnerability, social exclusion and inadequate access to specialised healthcare.
Jacob also identified the Senior Citizens Centre as an important response to some of those challenges, describing it as a one-stop facility where elderly citizens can access healthcare, recreation, social interaction and other forms of support.
It was against this background that NACONSEC conferred the national patronage on Eno, shortly after its Akwa Ibom chapter presented him with an Award of Excellence.
Jacob said the honour was a recognition of the governor’s commitment to improving the quality of life of elderly citizens in the state.
He disclosed that NACONSEC, which currently operates in 21 states, was prepared to deepen its partnership with the state government by providing volunteers, advisers and custodians of traditional values to support programmes for senior citizens.
The State Chairman of NACONSEC, Elder Okon Udofia, similarly commended the governor, describing the existing centre as evidence of a deliberate effort to give elderly citizens greater dignity, inclusion and belonging.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Senior Citizens Mobilisation, Mrs Mercy Eka, said the office would continue to strengthen the participation of elderly citizens in government programmes and activities
