The National Orientation Agency (NOA) is partnering with the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) to end stigmatization of the elderly in the country through public attitudinal reorientation.
This was disclosed by Paul Odenyi, Assistant Director, Press, NOA. He said that this was the outcome of a courtesy visit paid on the Director-General, NOA, Dr. Garba Abari by the Director General NSCC, Dr. Emem Omokaro at the Agency’s headquarters in Abuja. to cause fundamental positive change in perception, attitude and paradigm about the elderly in the society
During the visit, Abari said the appointment was a typical example of round peg in a round hole for NSCC adding that the NOA is committed to the partnership and collaboration to help the NSCC to deliver on its mandate, the condition of the elderly in the society is the responsibility of all. He said values, cultural and traditional practices which are friendly on the elderly in the society especially stigmation in the rural must be changed through total attitudinal and behavioral change with awareness campaigns to start, continue and be sustained by stakeholders.
The Director General, NOA said with the changes in the behavior , evaluation monitoring to ascertain what we are doing with performance indicator stating that care giving is a big industry creating employment opportunities, expanding frontiers of social service job opportunities.
The DG NOA further explained that the Agency has a unique platform tagged Local Government Assembly which citizens are engaged in their local dialect by the Community Orientation and Mobilization Officers known as the foot soldiers of NOA, who also are people with credibility and also engage pail bearers such as Clerics, Principals and Traditional Rulers.
Earlier, the DG NSCC, Emem Omokaro said the visit was necessitated by the desirous of a structured partnership on the development of concrete programs for awareness creation on and social mobilization including addressing ageism, elder abuse, and violence against older persons, especially older women.
Omokaro sought collaboration on NSCC Anti- Elder Abuse Community Rapid Respond Squad- a multi – stakeholder community based mechanism for identifying elder abuse in all its forms within communities, identifying and engaging first responders, conceptualizing a seamless preventive, reporting framework and procedural for processing of appropriate redress and remedies, including access to legal services for older persons.