*As Stakeholders seek law to protect old persons in incarceration
National Senior Citizens Centre, (NSCC), has called for support from international partners and other stakeholders to end discrimination and stereotypes against the elderly in Nigeria.
Director General of the Center, Dr.. Emem Omokaro made the call at Partnership and Stakeholders Engagement on Elder Justice, yesterday in Abuja.
She said a lot of elderly in society face various forms of rights abuse because members of the society do not really understand the changes, challenges and other difficulties of aging such as dementia, hence they end up tagging elders with such symptoms as witches.
“Intergenerational education is very important if we must overcome those issues of age differences, those stereotypes, those prejudices and those tendencies to discriminate among others.
“We also need research and data that will guide concrete actions to safeguard the rights of the senior citizens. The NSCC is all about elder justice”, she said.
She highlighted the importance of creating an age-friendly environment where older persons can enjoy social support.
Speaking on the need for disband harmful beliefs about older persons, Executive Secretary of, National Human Rights Commission, Tony Ojukwu, said “Elder abuse is any act or I’ll treatment being perpetuated against an older person on the basis of age, which causes harm or distress.”
Representative of the United Nations Population Fund, (UNFPA), Samson Hezekiah, said “Closing the circle on Elder abuse requires a comprehensive approach that encompasses policy, law, evidence-based interventions as well as intergenerational education.
According to him, we must all work together to strengthen older-age policies that support the rights, inclusion and social involvement of older people.”
While calling for legal framework that makes consideration for older inmates across correctional facilities, Reverend Sister Mary-Rosanna Emenusiobi who represented the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Durumi, observed that care for the aged should also be extended to old people who are in jail.
She stressed the importance of caring for old people behind bars nothing that they must be allowed to enjoy their fundamental human right to freedom from abuse too
There was representation from Legal Aid Nigeria and a debate by students of El Amin International School, Abuja.
