Feeding the Old People during Christmas, the COSROPIN Way

It has become a yearly tradition for COSROPIN, a non-governmental organisation, to gather old people and feed them in the spirit of Christmas. Amby Uneze writes that last year was not an exception

It was a day full of joy and excitement as St. Theresa’s Catholic Church Owere Obukpa in Catholic Diocese of Nsukka, Enugu State in collaboration with Coalition of Societies for Rights of Older Persons (COSROPIN), Enugu chapter celebrated Christmas with senior citizens to mark 2021 yuletide and to appreciate older persons for their contributions in the socio-economic development of the country.

The program, which was organised to promote the care of older persons and to create an ageing-friendly environment in Nigeria opened up with Elders’ Forum at Lion FM 91.1 University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) on a theme tagged “The Dignity, Responsibility and Challenges of Older Persons in Nigeria.”

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Charles Nduka Ifechukwudozie, a senior citizen and retired lecturer in the department of Sociology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka noted that “the society’s attitude and treatment of older persons have recently come to be viewed as a major social problem with so many civil society organisations advocating for rights and social welfare for older persons.”

Being discovered also as minority group, like other minority groups he further said that “older persons are being subjected to all kinds of abuses, neglect, discrimination, social exclusion and stereotyped behaviours”.

Generally, they react against these prejudices in the same way those discriminated against on racial and ethnic bias would react through protest and by being self-conscious, sensitive, and defensive about their social and cultural status.

Ifechukwudozie also appealed to government at all levels to double their efforts in meeting their social responsibility towards older persons in Nigeria and to religious leaders too “to lead by examples in caring for older members of their worshiping communities as the moral conscience of every just and responsible society”.

The Head of Department of Social Work, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Dr. Pepertua Tanyi, also speaking at the event on the problems and challenges faced by older persons said “as a people, we have a personal stake in improving the status and life circumstances of older persons because they are what we are becoming. If we do not face and solve the problems of older persons now, we will meet the same problem in the future in our own time.”

She identified those problems as “depression and other emotional problems caused by loneliness, declining health, loss of status, reduced income, lack of relationships with families and friends, parents abuse by children and significant others, lack of regular payment of pensions and high cost of healthcare both in private and public hospitals”. To overcome these challenges she suggested an effective implementation of various social policies on ageing.

Contributing, the parish priest of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church Owere Obukpa Nsukka Diocese, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Asogwa, while addressing the guests said that “our society fears ageing and old age more than most other societies do. Our emphasis on youth and the beginning of life to the neglect of older persons and the end of life are indications both of our dread of getting gray hair and wrinkles or becoming bald and of the pleasure we experience when someone guesses our age to be younger than it actually is. We place a high value on newness, mobility, action, and energy.”

Rev. Fr. Asogwa equally appreciated the leadership of the Coalition of Societies for Rights of Older Persons in Nigeria (COSROPIN) through the zonal coordinator Rev. Fr. Theodore Ihenetu for their active advocacy role in promoting the rights and well-being of older persons in Nigeria and for effectively facilitating the program for the first time in Nsukka Diocese and Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Fr. Asogwa speaking further said “I hope all and sundry will key into this program of promoting healthy and gracefully ageing for our senior citizens by giving them our social and emotional support.”

The high points of the event were the sensitisation road walk by older persons, leisure activities, football matches between elderly men and elderly women, tug of war, cutting of Christmas cake and old school music dance by older persons.

In conclusion the zonal coordinator of COSROPIN in the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Rev. Fr. Theodore Ihenetu thanked all older persons in attendance for being part the celebration organised in their honour, NGOs and civil society organisations working with and for older persons for their commitment in promoting social justice and security for all especially for older persons.

Rev. Fr. Ihenetu equally thanked the Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Most. Rev. Prof. Godfrey I. Onah for supporting and promoting the welfare of older persons in Nsukka Diocese through his teaching and charity donations to the indigent older persons.

Ihenetu equally commended President Muhammad Buhari for making his administration older persons’ friendly by generously approving the take-off of the National Senior Citizens Centre with Dr. Emem Omokaro as the Director-General.

He was optimistic as he said “that the President will assent to The Older Persons’ Rights and Privileges Bill 2019 which has passed the final reading at the House of Representative when it gets to him”.

He also thanked the leadership of Coalition of Societies for Rights of Older Persons in Nigeria (COSROPIN) ably led by Sen. Dr. D. Eze-Ajoku for being the voice of older persons in Nigeria.

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As a people, we have a personal stake in improving the status and life circumstances of older persons because they are what we are becoming