Abia Govt Moves To End Abuse, Abandonment Of Senior Citizens

The Abia State Government has vowed to tackle the abuse, neglect and abandonment of senior citizens, insisting that reside

nts aged 60 and above deserve dignity, care and protection.

The government made the commitment in Umuahia during a workshop to review and draft a policy framework for implementing the Abia State Senior Citizens Centre Law No. 4 of 2025.

The Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Mrs Ngozi Blessing Felix, said the state was determined to translate the law into practical measures to improve the welfare of older persons across Abia.

Felix condemned the abandonment and ridicule of elderly people, stressing that they should not be left to suffer without adequate care and support.

“The Ministry of Poverty Alleviation is actually leading this process to ensure that the Abia State Senior Citizens Policy comes to light,” she said.

She explained that the government had held several consultations with stakeholders from the formal and informal sectors to develop a policy that addresses the needs of all residents aged 60 and above.

According to her, the enactment of the Abia State Senior Citizens Centre Law, 2025, provides a legal foundation for a more organised and sustainable response to the challenges facing older persons.

She added that the government would ensure the law, already signed by Governor Alex Otti, was translated into an actionable policy capable of delivering meaningful protection and support to senior citizens.

The Ministry of Justice, represented at the workshop by Uwaoma Ajike, pledged to provide the necessary legal backing to protect elderly people in communities across the state.

Similarly, the Abia State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Okoro Ogbonna, said retired and retiring workers deserved adequate protection and reassurance that society would not abandon them after their years of service.

Ogbonna commended the state government for enacting the senior citizens’ law, describing it as an important step towards addressing the welfare concerns of older people.

Abia Govt Moves To End Abuse, Abandonment Of Senior Citizens is first published on The Whistler Newspaper