August 17, (THEWILL) – The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, has given assurances of plans by the Federal Government to fix a special National Day for Senior Citizens in Nigeria.
A statement on Tuesday by the Head, Public Affairs, Media And Communication, National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC), Omini Oden, said, the Minister, who made the plans known on Tuesday, also disclosed that appropriate moves through transmission of an official memo to the Federal Executive Council is underway.
Hajiya Umar Farouq spoke in her office while receiving the management team of the NSCC, led by its Director General, Dr. Emem Omokaro.
She commended Omokaro for the pace at which she is settling down to work, hoping that with the assemblage of the management team at her disposal she is confident that the overall objectives of the centre will be realised soon enough.
Omokaro, however, appealed for the declaration of a national day of older persons in Nigeria within the months of August and early September 2021 to herald the first ever NSCC celebration in October 2021.
In addition, Omokaro pleaded the assistance of the Minister to help the NSCC to secure the National registration of senior citizens of Nigeria (SCN) “who are seventy years and above for the purpose of effectively identifying them for public respect, age friendly services and concessions in Banking services and facilities, road, air and rail transportation services as well as Health and hospital services.”
The Minister assured the NSCC of her resolve to follow on with the request through the relevant ministries, departments and agencies.
Highpoint of the visit was the formal presentation of the communique reached at the end of a one-day Senior Citizens Forum Maiden Dialogue organised by the NSCC in August 2021.
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