Foundation drums support for ageing populace

Foundation drums support for ageing populace
NAN-HG-3
Ageing
By Chinenye Offor
Abuja, March 5, 2018 (NAN) The Executive Director, Dave Omokaro Foundation, Dr Emem Omokaro, has called on the Federal Government to ensure the effective implementation of the ageing policy in the country.
Omokaro made the appeal on Monday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of a training programme on “Ageing policy formulation’’ in collaboration with International Institute on Ageing (INIA), Malta, under the United Nations.
She advised government to have a data on the ageing populace to help in mainstreaming ageing and implementation of the policy.
According to her, having data and mainstreaming ageing policies across all MDAs is key to achieving and tackling ageing problems.
She added that solution to ageing problems needed to have a strategic implementation, data on human skills and knowledge base.
She also said it was imperative that the aged are included in policies to make sure that no one was left behind.
“The older persons have over the years been left behind; they are the most despised, rejected and stigmatised.
“Approach to development should be a life course approach and there is need for policy development.
“Findings from data of Survey across MDAs indicates that the aged are not included in programmes,” she said.
Amb. Usman Sarki, Chairman BOT, Gerontology Association of Nigeria (GERAN), also advised the federal government to make ageing policies and formulation as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the society as seen in developed countries.
According to him, nowhere is issue of care needed more than ageing and therefore advocated for policies to be put in place.
He noted that old age do not mean the end of aged useful life, rather should be given an opportunity to show their expertise in wherever it was required.
Sarki also advocated for 65 years retirement age instead of the current 60 years of age.
He, therefore, appealed to the participants to use the necessary tools acquired in the training to mainstream ageing in their organisations.
On his part, Mr Hillary Inyang, Chairman Board of Trustees, Dave Omokaro Foundation (DOF), also advocated for the knowledge on ageing be taken to states and local government areas.
He said that the health and wealth of any nation depended on how they manage regulations, policy and education tied to research.
He noted that older persons were not engaged well as they should as seen in developed countries.
He, therefore, urged all hands to be on deck in making sure that ageing is mainstreamed, saying that government alone cannot handle it. (NAN)
CSO/AAB/MST
Edited By Adeboye Ajayi/Muhammad Suleiman Tola