60PLUS: AN ADVOCACY WITH A DIFFERENCE

On the 22nd of June 2017, a Group of well – meaning Nigerians with diverse background got together to chart a new way forward on how the Elderly can live a more fulfilling life in their twilight years.
The main objective of the Group known as 60PLUS ADVOCACY INITIATIVE is to seek the best interests of Older persons through Social Advocacy Engagements and through creating awareness about the plight and social wellbeing of the Senior Citizens. Our role as an Advocacy Outfit, calls for us to be assertive, creative and imaginative. As luxuriated by a renowned Philosopher: “We must invest in the happiness and progress of others in order for us to find true happiness and progress.” The need to lend out a voice to our Senior Citizens in the area of Pension, Housing, Healthcare and the Provision of Recreational facilities was what led to the formation of 60PLUS ADVOCACY INITIATIVE. Elderly protection was also a key because our Elders are the most Mortally Vulnerable Segment of the society. They are also Susceptible to the Vagaries of bad weather and water and air borne diseases. So, we shall be speaking out with one voice and mounting up pressure on Government to provide the Enabling Environment. We shall also be creating awareness about Healthy Living among Older Persons through various interventions like Exercises and Empowerment Programmes. As the International Institute of Ageing says: “The world is in the midst of a unique and irreversible process of Demographic Transition that will result in Older Population Explosion. As fertility rates decline, the proportion of older persons is expected to triple and even quadruple by 2050.” Reverence for Elders is one thing that makes us Africans. It is a cardinal element of our civilized culture. We believe Senior Citizens should be treated with respect. They should have a special place in Buses and in all Public Institutions. In a Dramatic twist, our Older persons are now Euphemestically addressed as “SEENAGERS” otherwise known as “SENIOR TEENAGERS” and they are supposed to be well catered for with the provision of intensive Healthcare Services and other supportive facilities. In a world bedeviled by violence and so much hathred, 60PLUS will partner with the relevant Stakeholders so as to foster unity and we are committed to championing the cause of the Elderly. We will make this Ageless Generation of “SEENAGERS” to feel younger again by recognizing and celebrating them so that they can live with purpose and dignity after their Sanguinary Years. BY DR. COME OVBIAGELE 60PLUS BOT SECRETARY