The First Lady of Nigeria, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, has urged Nigerians, especially family members, to show compassion to elderly in their families and communities in order to prolong their lives.
Tinubu said this during the inauguration of the ‘’Arise Senior Citizens Centre,’’ located along the Uyo-Ikot Ekpene Road on Saturday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the centre is designed to provide support for senior citizens, offering services like healthcare, recreation, and social interaction.
The first lady expressed delight to Gov. Umo Eno for constructing the centre and supporting senior citizens in the state.
She acknowledged that the project aligned with the vision of President Bola Tinubu Renewed Hope Agenda, which ensured that ‘’no Nigerian is left behind, especially the elderly.
“We have to really have compassion to the elderly; old age can be a very lonely period, especially when a spouse is gone.
‘’They have emptiness; the children have been trained and have to go their ways.
‘’It can be a very lonely time. This centre you have built will keep them to live longer,” Tinubu said.
The wife of the President urged other state governors to replicate the senior citizens’ centre in their states to take care of the elderly.
Tinubu reiterated that she had proposed special economic support for the elderly when she was in the senate which did not come to reality.
She called on the current senate to revisit the bill that would give stipends to the elderly, stressing that they have given much to the society during their lifetime.
She expressed displeasure to see elderly citizens being abandoned and uncared for.
“Aging should not means isolation or neglect but comfort, respect and continued engagement with the society,” Tinubu said.
Earlier, Eno said the project was conceived by his late wife, the late Patience Eno, due to her love and compassion for elderly persons.
The governor said that his administration holds senior citizens in high regards, as they have spent their lifetime for the society.
Eno added that his administration had been paying stipends of N50, 000 monthly to 600 elderly across the 369 wards in the state.
He assured that his administration would not relent in providing basic healthcare to senior citizens in the state.
“The project was dear to my wife and I am sure she will be happy today, as you inaugurate this project,” Eno said.
In her remarks, Mrs Helen Obareki, the governor’s daughter, said her late mother was a woman of compassion, and that was why she conceived the project.
Obareki expressed appreciation to the first lady for inaugurating the project in memory of her late mother.
