As the United Nations marked the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day over the weekend, an Abuja based non-governmental organisation, Centre for Media and Development, has set in motion plans to mobilise well meaning Nigerians and other public-spirited groups to get the National Assembly enact laws to protect the elderly persons in the society.
The Executive Director of the centre, Magnus Eze, said his group is working closely with Geriatric Care Foundation, the Human Rights Writers Association and other Civil Society groups to create awareness on the growing problem of abuse of the older persons in Nigeria.
This is in response to the progressively deteriorating condition of living of the elderly in the country due to various factors ranging from economic hardship, corruption and outright neglect and wickedness of people towards them.
June 14, 2012 was the first time the United Nations marked the Day to create awareness globally on the maltreatment of the elderly all over the world.
In Nigeria, despite the extended family system, the abuse of the elderly has been on the increase.
Just recently, there was a mind-boggling pension scam where billions of naira belonging to the pensioners was frittered away by government officials mandated to manage the pension scheme.
This has brought to the fore the level of vulnerability of the elderly in our society.
Cases abound of how children, step children and neighbours of elderly people have treated them in subhuman ways.
There has also been increasing wave of sexual violation of older persons, especially the female.
Investigations show that some families try to bully old people out of their money or property.
A 2007 country report conducted by the African Gerontological Society International, Nigeria, revealed that such cases of abuse are not regularly reported to law enforcement agencies.
The report stated that besides “the Criminal Code related to crimes of violence and assault, there is no law on elder abuse.”
The Centre said the time has come for Nigeria, through the National Assembly, to make legislation to protect the older persons, who are the repository of cultures, knowledge as well as the harbinger of wisdom, which the young generations rely on to chart their cause in life.
It said any form of elder abuse should attract stringent punishment, adding: “It’s not enough to subject culprits to the Criminal Code related to violence and assault.
“The Centre hereby alerts of the fact that Nigeria, a country of over 160 million people, has less than 20 homes for the old!”
The centre cited the example of Lagos State, which has about 20 million people, but ironically has just five old people’s homes.
Recently, the Centre in partnership with Geriatric Care Foundation as part of activities marking this year’s World Health Day organised a public lecture and medical outreach programme for the old, where they were feted and educated on the best strategies to adopt for a more enjoyable and healthy old age.