Lawmaker initiates elderly scheme, gives aged people N13m

Posted by admin House, Legislature, Senate Tuesday, December 11th, 2012

Senator Oluremi Tinubu has initiated Elderly Citizens Assistance Scheme as part of her programmes to alleviate poverty among the aged persons in her constituency.

Tinubu, who represents Lagos Central Constituency in the Senate, gave N10, 000 each to 1,300 elderly persons, aged from 65 and above, spread across 13 local governments that make up the senatorial district.

The wife of the chairman of Eti-Osa East Local Council Development Area, Alhaja Khadijat Owolabi, represented the Senator at the event which also marked the fifth edition of Tinubu’s town hall meeting.

Tinubu said because many countries neglected their elderly ones, there was high incidence of poverty and homelessness among the aged persons.

She said Nigeria is currently ranked low in development because of her failure to collectively address the problems facing the elderly and other vulnerable segments of the population.

Tinubu said, “Our budgetary allocations, often do not favour the elderly. This is an anomaly; our society should treasure the elderly who are custodians of wisdom. We should remember that when crisis comes, solution could only come when we combine the wisdom of our elders with the knowledge and energy of our youths.

“It is with a view to alleviate poverty among our elderly that I have initiated ECAS, a programme under which 1,300 participants will each benefit from the sum of N10,000 as part of constituency development initiative.”

She urged the elderly to transmit their knowledge and experience that could not be bought to the future generation.

Chairman, Eti-Osa East LCDA, Alhaji Owolabi Yisa, urged the elderly to reciprocate the gesture by seeing themselves as agents of development and social justice.

He said his administration had, on its part, contributed immensely to the uplift of the elderly in its domain.

A beneficiary, Mr. Sunny Adekunle, commended Tinubu for the gesture, advising other politicians and well-to-do persons to emulate her.
Via Punchwp_posts