Abia Government Reaffirms Commitment to Senior Citizens’ Welfare, Condemns Elder Neglect

The Abia State Government has declared that old age should never result in neglect, abuse or abandonment as it reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the rights, dignity and wellbeing of senior citizens.

The government said it would sustain social protection initiatives while ensuring effective implementation of the Abia State Senior Citizens Law, 2023, to guarantee the inclusion and protection of elderly persons.

Speaking during the 2026 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day event in Umuahia, with the theme “Beyond Awareness: Making Elder Abuse Prevention Work,” the Wife of the Governor, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, said the law was designed to ensure that no elderly person is forgotten.

Represented by Mrs. Adaeze Emetu, wife of the Deputy Governor, she described senior citizens as invaluable members of society whose years of sacrifice, wisdom and resilience deserve recognition.

“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 stated.

Mrs. Otti said the administration has continued to pay pensions promptly, describing the payments as a demonstration of gratitude for retirees’ service and a way of preserving their dignity.

She added that the government has introduced several welfare initiatives, including economic empowerment programmes, cash support, medical outreaches, and the distribution of food and clothing to elderly residents in all 17 local government areas.

She also commended the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Mrs. Ngozi Blessing Felix, for driving programmes that improve the lives of senior citizens.

Mrs. Otti appealed to families, communities and institutions to complement government efforts by providing supportive and secure 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, Commissioner Ngozi Blessing Felix said the state government remains focused on translating awareness into concrete action to protect elderly people from neglect and abuse.

She noted that the treatment of vulnerable members of society remains a key measure of any government’s commitment to social justice.

In his keynote address, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Monitoring and Evaluation, Mazi Ugochukwu Okororafor, identified loneliness, neglect, age-related illnesses and financial exploitation among the major factors driving elder abuse globally.

He praised the Abia State Government for establishing the Abia Senior Citizens Centre to register elderly residents and coordinate welfare programmes.

Okororafor urged governments, healthcare providers, communities and families to collaborate in ending abuse and discrimination against older persons.

Also speaking, the Coordinator of the Abia Senior Citizens Centre, Dr. Otti Nwaka, described older persons as custodians of society’s culture and heritage.

“Our elders are the custodians of our culture, wisdom and history. To abuse or neglect them is to deny our own future,” he said.

He called on Nigerians to continue showing respect, honour and care to senior citizens.

The event brought together elderly residents, government officials and other stakeholders to promote the protection and welfare of older persons in Abia State.

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