Wife of President calls on citizens to treat senior citizens with kindness

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The First Lady, 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.

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Tinubu said this during the inauguration of the ‘’Arise Senior Citizens Centre,’’ located along the Uyo-Ikot Ekpene Road on Saturday.

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The centre is designed to provide support for senior citizens, offering services like healthcare, recreation, and social interaction.

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The first lady expressed delight to Gov. Umo Eno for constructing the centre and supporting senior citizens in the state.

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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.

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“We have to really have compassion to the elderly; old age can be a very lonely period, especially when a spouse is gone.

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‘’They have emptiness; the children have been trained and have to go their ways.

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‘’It can be a very lonely time. This centre you have built will keep them to live longer,” Tinubu said.

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The wife of the President urged other state governors to replicate the senior citizens’ centre in their states to take care of the elderly.

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Tinubu reiterated that she had proposed special economic support for the elderly when she was in the senate which did not come to reality.

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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.

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She expressed displeasure to see elderly citizens being abandoned and uncared for.

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“Aging should not means isolation or neglect but comfort, respect and continued engagement with the society,” Tinubu said.

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Earlier, Eno said the project was conceived by his late wife, the late Patience Eno, due to her love and compassion for elderly persons.

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The governor said that his administration holds senior citizens in high regards, as they have spent their lifetime for the society.

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Eno added that his administration had been paying stipends of N50, 000 monthly to 600 elderly across the 369 wards in the state.

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He assured that his administration would not relent in providing basic healthcare to senior citizens in the state.

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“The project was dear to my wife and I am sure she will be happy today, as you inaugurate this project,” Eno said.

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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.

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Obareki expressed appreciation to the first lady for inaugurating the project in memory of her late mother. (NAN)

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