Ajoku Tasks NHRC to Intensify Fight Against Elder Abuse

The President of the Coalition of Societies for the Rights of Older Persons in Nigeria (COSROPIN), Senator Dr. Eze Ajoku, OFR, has called on the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to redouble its efforts in combating elder abuse and protecting the rights of older persons in Nigeria.

He made the call during a one-day training for NHRC staff in Abuja, with the theme, “Strengthening Human Rights Defenders and Advocates in Combating Elder Abuse and Protecting the Rights of Older Persons in Nigeria.”

Senator Dr. Eze Ajoku, who was a resource person at the training, expressed concern over the rate of elder abuse, neglect, exploitation and discrimination in society, stressing the need for staff, who are described as human rights defenders, to be alive to their responsibilities.

In his paper presentation titled “Overview of Older Persons in Nigeria/Causes and Implications of Elder Abuse,” the COSROPIN President advised members of staff of the National Human Rights Commission to remain committed to promoting, protecting and enforcing the human rights of all persons, especially the less privileged in society.

“Many laboured throughout their youth with dignity and honour, but today, a good number of them live in loneliness, poverty, sickness and neglect,” he said.
In his words, “More people are now living longer because of improvements in medicine, healthcare and public awareness, and while life expectancy is improving, our systems of protection and care for older persons are not improving at the same pace.”

“In many communities today, older persons who once commanded honour now struggle quietly, and some are abandoned in villages after their children relocate to cities or abroad. Some cannot afford medication, while others suffer emotional abuse inside the very homes they built.

“As a nation, we must understand that older persons are not liabilities. They are custodians of wisdom, memory, sacrifice, faith, leadership and culture,” Senator Dr. Ajoku explained.

The President of COSROPIN stressed the need for regular training and retraining of the NHRC workforce on ways of identifying, preventing, documenting, monitoring and responding to cases of all forms of elder abuse towards ensuring the dignity of older persons in society.

Senator Dr. Eze Ajoku also emphasised measures that would strengthen the Commission’s institutional capacity to advocate for the promotion and protection of the rights and dignity of older persons in line with national, regional and international human rights standards.

“This matter concerns all of us because ageing is not a distant issue and, by the grace of God, it is a future many of us hope to reach. Therefore, let the Human Rights Commission become the voice of the neglected, the defender of the abandoned and the shield for vulnerable older persons in Nigeria,” Senator Dr. Eze Ajoku added.

In a remark, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Mr. Tony Ojukwu, said the training was organised to further enhance the capacity of staff of the Commission towards protecting the rights of older persons in the country.

Mr. Ojukwu therefore advised participants at the training to put into practice what they had learnt during the training to improve their productivity.

While commending Senator Dr. Eze Ajoku for his paper presentation, Mr. Ojukwu expressed the Commission’s readiness to partner with COSROPIN and other relevant organisations towards the protection of the rights of older persons in Nigeria.