President Buhari pleaded with the ECOWAS Parliament to create policies that will take care of the elderly in the society in his speech on Monday November 25, at the regional political and economic union’s conference on the rights of older people.
Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, George Akume who presented President Buhari’s speech at the event stated that the African culture of respecting the elderly has been eroded by western civilization.
He said “because of Western civilisation, our traditions that bestow honour and respect to the elderly are worsening.
“All Africans should hold unto that tradition because it is our duty to bring glory and honour to our elderly and we cannot sit back for others to do it for us.”
The president added “We need to wakeup to the challenges of older persons in the region. We also need to collaborate and join efforts with other nations both local and international to fight for the rights of older persons globally.”
President Buhari further disclosed that his administration is working hard to support the elderly across the country and some of these measures include the Senior Citizens Act of 2018.
“The Act serves to cater for the needs of the elderly; a harmonised pension scheme and a mandatory pre-retirement training.”
He added that the government is also working to ensure that other “benefits such as healthcare are subsidised.”
