NAN

The Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (AU-ECOSOCC) has advocated for development of policies and review of existing legislations to ensure older persons receive equal treatment and protection.

Dr Tunji John Asaolu, the Chairperson Social Affairs and Health AU-ECOSOCC, stated this at the 1st Annual African Regional Conference on Ageing in Abuja on Monday.

He said this had become pertinent as member states through the African Union heads of states adopted the protocol to African Charter on the rights of older persons in Africa.

This, he said, was adopted at the 26th Ordinary session of the assembly held in Addis Ababa, on Jan 31, adding that the provision of legal assistance to older persons will help protect their rights.

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Asaolu said the member states took into consideration qualities of African traditions, values and practices which should inspire, provide mutual social and communal care and support as well as passing knowledge to younger population.

“This has been given to us to guide the process of dealing with older people, our responsibility in this is for us to make sure that it is domesticated in Nigeria.

“This conference is designed to bring new consensus for innovative multilevel stakeholder engagement in the African region as well as Nigeria.

“The event is timely when African leaders are yearning for revitalization of our cultures that was going backwards, Africa is gradually losing its values  as a result of civilization and importation of western ideas.

“In our schools today we see either African curriculum or British; the result of this is where young people do not have any respect for elders,this is happening even within the family unit,’’ he said.

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Asaolu noted that the population of older people in Africa was increasing rapidly and many counties were experiencing increase in both proportion and number of older persons.

He explained that the range of problems older people in Africa are facing was consistently increasing as societies experience conflicts, huge economic problems, natural disasters, diseases and a deterioration of family relationships.

“The negative attitude that society has towards older people has meant that solutions are being sought for other population group except older people.

“National, government, planners and key stakeholders in society have shown a frightening discrimination to older people.

“The level of mistreatment, neglect and abandonment of older people are growing to quite alarming levels.

“The contributions that older people have made into the development and sustenance of their nations are hardly noticed,’’ he said.

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He added that there was a notion that all older people are cared for by their families whereby increasing number of older people could no longer rely on families for support.

Asaolu further acknowledged that the discrimination of older people goes on despite the existence of key United Nations and International Declaration conventions and charters to which African nations have appended their signatures.

This, he said, include UN universal declaration of human rights 1948, Africa Charter of human and people’s rights, International Covenant on civil and political rights (ICCPR), among others.

He urged Nigerians for sustained advocacy and to hold the government accountable as Nigeria was also part of the signatory and must be nationalized.