Coalition bags FG’s recognition, honour for assisting older citizens

The Coalition of Society for the Rights of Older Persons in Nigeria (COSROPIN) has received recognition and praise from the Federal Government for its tireless efforts at ending older people’s structural exclusion in the society.

This was as its president was on Tuesday recognized with the National Honours Award by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The President of the Coalition, Senator Eze Ajoku, expressed his gratitude to the government and members of his coalition a dinner party  hosted in his honour  by the coalition.

He stated that being named an Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) and receiving the National Honours Award 2022 was a great honor.

He noted that the Coalition’s goal has always been to defend the rights and welfare of senior citizens in Nigeria in accordance with the country’s constitution, and that the acknowledgment just showed that their efforts have not gone unnoticed.

He said: “My overview of National Honours Award 2022 is that the government has done a good job in the selection of people who received awards.

“This year’s selection was so thorough as to have included the man who saved 200 Christians in his mosque and the woman who picked $10,000 and returned it to the honour.

“The government looked at people who have achieved something for this nation. The government has done very well this year and rewarded those who merited it.”

He however pleaded with President Buhari to sign the Older Persons Rights and Privileges Bill into law as a show of support for older citizens who are discriminated against and mistreated.

He stated that the Bill has been cleared by the two chambers of the National Assembly and has been forwarded to the President for his assent.

He further pointed out that if the Bill becomes law, it will establish the nation’s first legislative framework to protect the elderly, changing the perception of how senior citizens in Nigeria are treated and the conventions that govern their care, safety and dignity.