Otti’s big move: Abia’ social contract with senior citizens

By Chinenye Offor, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

In most countries, senior citizens – those aged 60 years and above – are esteemed and accorded special recognition and care by the state.

The UN, in acknowledgement of the importance of senior citizens, designated Oct. 1 annually as International Day of Older Persons.

In Nigeria, the National Senior Citizens Act, 2017, birthed the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) to cater for the needs of the senior citizens and bolster social inclusion.

Afterwards, the NSCC implored state governments to urgently domesticate the National Senior Citizens Act to safeguard the welfare of the elderly.

In Abia, Gov. Alex Otti is blazing the trail.

Recently, Otti signed the Senior Citizens Welfare Bill into law, providing free medicals and a monthly stipend for senior citizens aged 60 and above.

Law No. 4 of 2025 established the Abia State Senior Citizens Centre.

This landmark law aims to improve the quality of life for elderly residents, ensuring dignity, security, and social protection.

The law establishes a framework for proper support, including registration, identification, and administration of benefits.

The key components of the law are among others, free medical care, access to healthcare services in public facilities, social support, and assistance for vulnerable and indigent seniors.

The law stipulates that to be eligible, one must meet the age requirement of 60 years and above and must be indigene of Abia.

Eligible seniors will be verified and registered in the state’s database.

In the ensuing euphoria and misconstructions, the Abia Government offered clarifications.

Okey Kanu, the Commissioner for Information, said that the Abia Senior Citizens Centre was not a free money distribution scheme, or direct cash handouts.

According to him, it is a structured social welfare and support system designed to provide care, coordination, dignity, and inclusion for senior citizens, not direct cash handouts.

Kanu said it had imperative to properly inform the public and dispel misconceptions surrounding the law.

“This legislation is a deliberate and compassionate response by the Otti’s administration to the growing population of elderly persons in Abia and the long-standing absence of a structured, government-backed system dedicated to their care, welfare, and social inclusion.”

Kanu acknowledged the contributions of senior citizens over the decades, saying that that ageing often came with health challenges, social isolation, and economic vulnerability.

“Law No. 4 of 2025 is therefore a social protection policy, not political symbolism, aimed at restoring dignity, care, and relevance to elderly citizens,” he said.

He said the law formally established the Abia Senior Citizens Centre as a government-recognised institution.

Kanu emphasised the centre is not a retirement home or a place of abandonment.

“It serves as a coordinated hub where senior citizens can access support services, engage socially, receive guidance, participate in recreational and skills-sharing activities, and benefit from structured welfare programmes.

“Through the centre, the state government now has a unified platform to plan, coordinate, and implement elderly-focused interventions across the state, replacing the previously fragmented and informal approach to senior citizens’ welfare.”

Kanu said that the centre was mandated to promote the welfare, dignity, and quality of life of senior citizens by providing social, psychological, and health-related support.

He said it would also serve as an advocacy platform for the protection of their rights.

“It is empowered to develop programmes, maintain a reliable database of elderly persons, facilitate access to healthcare and social welfare schemes, and collaborate with relevant ministries, agencies, NGOs, faith-based organisations, and development partners.”

He said that administratively, the centre operated under the supervision of the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection to ensure accountability, transparency, and alignment with the state’s broader social welfare policies.

He added that funding would be to be sourced through lawful budgetary allocations, grants, and approved donations, in line with due process.

“Law No. 4 of 2025 is a bold and humane policy choice that places Abia among progressive states that recognise ageing as a governance issue and institutionalise care for senior citizens ,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, senior citizens from Abia are reveling over the state government’s gesture.

They say the move is in tandem with practices in other climes where senior citizens are conferred with proper care, having devoted their youthful years to service of their nation.

Mr Felix Nwadioha, a senior citizen from Abia commended the governor for the initiative, noting that it was great to work in one’s fatherland and be recognised .

“It is not only when you are in service that you are relevant; you are also relevant when you are out of government,’’ he said.

He added that a country with senior citizens was deficit in necessary experience.

Nwadioha urged other states to follow suit.

Another senior citizen from Abia, Mr Obike Ukoh, praised the gesture, comparing it to practices in developed countries.

He said that in developed countries, people were not just part of social security, they had social insurance coverage.

Obike said that the programme would help alleviate the challenges faced by the aged in the state.

He added that living without a source of income at old age was risky

Obike said that in many Igbo communities, there was a strong cultural expectation that children would take care for their parents in old age but such suppositions did not apply in all cases.

“You know, within the Igbo land, we make a lot of assumptions that somebody will be taken care of by his children, dependents and relatives in old age.

“But while doing that, you also forget that there maybe people that may not have children; there are also those who may not have dependable relatives.

“So, this kind of intervention will solve a lot of major problems, but the issue is the modalities and the sustainability of such a programme.

“It is a human approach to help people live longer; not to live a little longer in suffering but to live long in a very healthy living and in comfort,” he said.

Sharing similar sentiments, Mrs Eunice Offor, a senior citizen, described the development as a game-changer.

According to her, the governor’s decision to sign the Senior Citizens Bill into law is a huge relief for her adding that a lot of senior citizens from the state cannot afford basic healthcare services.

“The monthly stipend, free medical care, and other benefits will go a long way in improving our quality of life.

“It is heartening to see the government prioritising our welfare; especially considering the challenges we face in our golden years.

“Many of us have contributed to the growth and development of Abia, and it is only fitting that we are taken care of.

“The fact that this law is now a statutory entitlement gives us a sense of security and dignity; we will no longer be dependent on family members or charity for our basic needs,’’ she said.

Worthy of note, former Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, also applauded Otti.

Osinbajo spoke while felicitating the governor on his 61st birthday celebration in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of the state.

According to him, the Abia Senior Citizens Law signed by Otti is a landmark initiative that will protect vulnerable senior citizens of the state.

He said that the law reflected the state government’s concern for the elderly.

Osinbajo said it also embodied transformative values of compassion and social responsibility inspired by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

“I was quite particularly touched by the new law for Senior Citizens in Abia and I think it is one of those very important issues that we have to address.

“The gospel of Jesus Christ transformed nations because of the concern for the poor and vulnerable,’’ Osinbajo said.

While Otti and the Abia House of Assembly deserve praise for this gesture, policy analysts urge the full implementation of the watershed law. (NANFeatures)

Edited by Chijioke Okoronkwo

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Otti’s big move: Abia’ social contract with senior citizens