Old age must not become a sentence of neglect, Abia Govt declares
By Steve Oko
UMUAHIA — The Abia State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the rights, dignity and welfare of senior citizens, declaring that old age should never become a sentence of neglect, abuse or abandonment.
The government said it would continue to strengthen social protection programmes and implement the Abia State Senior Citizens Law, 2023, to ensure the care, protection and inclusion of older persons.
Speaking at the 2026 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day commemoration in Umuahia, themed “Beyond Awareness: Making Elder Abuse Prevention Work,” the Wife of the Governor, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, said the law was enacted to guarantee that growing old does not mean being forgotten.
Represented by the Wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adaeze Emetu, Mrs. Otti described senior citizens as repositories of wisdom, sacrifice and resilience whose contributions to society deserve recognition and respect.
“Our elderly citizens built the families and communities we enjoy today, yet many still face abandonment, abuse, isolation, poor healthcare and financial insecurity. These realities should trouble every conscience,” she said.
She said the state government has continued to pay pensions promptly, describing the payments as recognition of retirees’ years of service and a means of ensuring dignity in retirement.
According to her, the administration has also implemented economic empowerment programmes, cash support initiatives, medical outreaches, and the distribution of food items and clothing to elderly persons across the state’s 17 local government areas.
Mrs. Otti commended the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Mrs. Ngozi Blessing Felix, for initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of senior citizens.
She called on families, communities and institutions to complement government efforts by creating safe and supportive environments for older persons.
“Let us build the kind of Abia we would all be proud to grow old in — a state where every senior citizen lives with dignity, security and respect,” she said.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Mrs. Ngozi Blessing Felix, said the government was committed to translating awareness into concrete actions that protect elderly persons from abuse and neglect.
She noted that a society should be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable members, stressing that practical measures are needed to safeguard the rights of older persons.
Delivering the keynote address, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Monitoring and Evaluation, Mazi Ugochukwu Okororafor, described elder abuse as a growing global concern driven by loneliness, neglect, age-related illnesses, financial exploitation and other social challenges.
He commended the Abia State Government for establishing the Abia Senior Citizens Centre, which registers elderly residents and coordinates welfare services.
Okororafor also urged governments, healthcare providers, communities and families to work together to eliminate abuse, exploitation and discrimination against older persons.
In his goodwill message, the Coordinator of the Abia Senior Citizens Centre, Dr. Otti Nwaka, described older persons as custodians of society’s history, values and culture.
“Our elders are the custodians of our culture, wisdom and history. To abuse or neglect them is to deny our own future,” he said.
Nwaka called on citizens to accord senior citizens the respect, honour and care they deserve.
The event attracted senior citizens, government officials and other stakeholders committed to promoting the rights and welfare of older persons in Abia State.
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