Journalists Network For Ageing in Nigeria joined the Pause Old Persons Home, which collaborated with the Nigerian Medical Women Association, to mark the National Day For Older Persons. Talking inclusion with Laraba was also part of the celebration.
The older persons in the outfit provided by the Pause Old Persons Home, queued up to have their routine medical check up with drugs administered as required.
The grand patron of the NGO,Engr. Umar Jibrin spoke on the future plans of the home.
” For us at the Pause old people’s home, what we intend doing is to, you know, we have a plan already to build a home. That is going to be all encompassing”.
“We will have residency, you know, the accommodation will be there, there will be the medical facility, there will be sporting, you know, something that they can do some exercises and many other things that the elderly would require, because we are looking at people who have done their bit in the society, they are only taking time to wear out of their own lifecycle”
“For the government, for this class of persons, either they are retirees or like I said, they have done their own bit privately and they are now old, some of them don’t even have children. Government should look at anywhere within our daily activities that they can give them the succour they need , number one in the transport sector”
” I happen to be a civil engineer so I’m talking in terms of whatever you do that will help them to move from wherever they are to this facilities. You should be able to have you have must have ramps in offices, you must have lifts. If you have escalators, they are better than just moving on steps. They can’t do it at this level”.
The Founder, the Pause Old Persons Home, Barrister Hauwa Jibrin advocated for more attention to the needs of older persons.
She called on government, individuals and organisations who can afford it to donate so that more can be done for the older persons most of whom are indigent .
The Nigerian Women Medical Association FCT chapter president Dr Jennifer Chukwueze lauded the initiative saying they decided to collaborate with the Pause old people’s home because of their track record of catering for over 500 old people by providing health care, feeding, grooming etc.
The older persons were full of appreciation and prayed for their benefactor.
Mama Catherine Onah said they were always been provided for by Hajia Hauwa Jibrin and her team and prayed for God to continue to provide for her to do more.
The coordinator of the old persons from Mabushi said he receives calls monthly or bimonthly from the Pause old persons home to bring the older persons for health checks, medication, food and exercise.
According to him, society needs more of the kind of Hajia Hauwa Jibrin’s compassionate people.
Celebration of International Day of Older Persons in Nigeria was moved to October 5th by former President Muhammadu Buhari because the original date, 1st October, clashes with the Independence Day Celebration.
Mr Maxwell Eseigbe , chairman Journalists network for ageing in Nigeria appealed to government not to relegate older persons to the background but to empower them rather to contribute to the development of the nation from their vast potentials and experience
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JONAN members embarked on a walk after the outreach to distribute advocacy fliers to passers by.
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