Senior citizens centre: FG to set up quick community response squad

The Federal Government, on Monday, unveiled plans to set up ‘Anti-Elder Abuse Community Rapid Response Squad’ as part of ongoing efforts to ensure unfettered justice for Senior Citizens across the country.

Director-General, National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC), Dr Emem Omokaro, who disclosed this in Abuja, during an interactive session with the Legal Aid Council (LAC), expressed optimism that the partnership with the Council will ensure that senior citizens in Nigeria get unfettered access to justice, remove financial barriers, language barriers, distance, travel logistics, excessive delays and backlog in judicial processes, gender bias, discrimination and entrenched ageism and other obstacles irrespective of earnings.

Dr Omokaro while applauding the Legal Aid Council’s presence in the six geo-political zones and all States of the Federation said the Centre will partner with the Council to put in place a National Technical Working Group that will develop an inter-sector community mechanism that will address elder abuse through rapid response to the challenges of Senior Citizens.

When operational, the squad which will be known as the ‘Anti-Elder Abuse Community Rapid Response Squad” shall be comprised of community organis=ations and representatives of various interests, faith-based organisations in the communities and security agencies across the country.

The National Senior Citizens Centre she said will take advantage of the Legal Aid Council Community Legal Service which includes non-court advisory services, public awareness, mediation and other counselling services available in the Act establishing the Legal Aid Council.

Under this partnership with the Legal Aid Council, Dr Omokaro said she looks forward to a Nigeria where the dignity of Senior Citizens will be respected and upheld at all times.

In his remarks, LAC Director-General, Aliyu Bagudu Abubakar said the move by the National Senior Citizens Centre was reassuring and that the Legal Aid Council was available to work with NSCC to change the fortunes of Senior Citizens in Nigeria.

The Legal Aid Council he assured is for social justice for older persons and other vulnerable groups in the society.

It will be recalled that there have been increasing distressing reports of abuse and neglect of older persons within family settings and in communities and most of these abuses go unreported since older persons are voiceless and reporting mechanisms, structures and systems were not in place.

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Senior citizens centre: FG to set up quick community response squad