From Ayoyinka Jegede, Uyo
The National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) has complained over abuse of members, calling for the domestication of the Elderly People’s Act nationwide.
Director General of NSCC, Dr Emem Omokaro, made the call during the Elders Abuse Awareness & Elders Justice Advocacy Workshop, and the Economic Empowerment of Senior People-led Cooperative Societies in Akwa Ibom state.

Omokaro said the application of the Act would help in seamless operations, criminalise violence and abuse of the elderly. She lauded the state governor, Umo Eno, for accepting to domesticate the NSCC Act, and for putting in place programmes like social housing that promote older persons in the state.

The event also witnessed medical assistance for 500 elderly persons from the 31 local councils of the state. They received various assistive devices, while six senior-led cooperative societies were given a grant of N1 million each.

The medical outreach conducted at the Primary Health Centre, Barracks Road Uyo, collaborated with the Federal Government and the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH). Omokaro said those who benefit from the assistive devices had been assessed by UUTH Consultants in different specialist areas.

“We are here in Akwa Ibom because of our senior citizens, as we have been going around the country.
“We are here to also attend to senior citizens in the state and also support them by way of medical outreach and assistive devices to improve their quality of lives.

“We also give them instructions on how to manage their chronic situations very well.
“For this outreach, we have targeted 500 older persons. We have consultants in different specialist areas,” Omokaro said.

The director general listed the assistive devices provided by NSCC to include wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, hearing aids, diabetes test kits, tripod walking sticks, commode chairs, walking frames, guide canes and eyeglasses among others.

Earlier, the chairman and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Professor Enefiok Essien (SAN), said the workshop’s objective was to create awareness for the elderly.

In his remarks, Governor Umo Eno, represented by the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Princess Emem Ibanga, appreciated President Bola Tinubu for appointing a daughter of the State, Emem Omokaro as the DG of NSCC.

Eno pledged his administration’s commitment to the well-being of the elderly in the state and appealed to younger people to always take care of older persons wherever they come across them.