Ayodele Olalere
A non-governmental organisation, Center for Disability Issues, has called on Lagos State government to as a matter of urgency address the plight of the elderly persons, just as it also advised government’ on planned evacuation of beggars and hawkers in the state.
This was contained in the speech delivered by the Convener of Centre for Disability Issues, Comrade Kehinde Oshilaja, at The Annual Sustainability Fund for the Aged, lecture and fundraising, organised by the Centre at Lisabi Hall, Ebute-Metta, Lagos.
Oshilaja, who earlier commended the efforts of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, especially, for numerous efforts embarked by his administration in the last two years, added that the governor should also exercise caution on the steps being proposed by the state on evacuation of beggars and hawkers from the streets of Lagos.
The Convener, who spoke on the topic of the Programme ” The importance of social welfare to people living with disability” reminded the state government that elderly and aged people that has no wherewithal to feed themselves would definitely take to begging but if adequate arrangements have been put in place by government to take care of the elderly and aged people, nothing of that nature would occur.
Oshilaja, however, posited that adequate arrangements like regular payment of stipends of N10,000 should be organized for the elderly ones every month to cushion the effect of hardship as their welfare is concerned.
He said it is only when this arrangement must have been in place before they could think of evacuating beggars off the streets in Lagos.
“We at the Centre for Disability Issues are appealing strongly to Lagos State Government to put in place adequate arrangements to take care of the elderly in the society at least with minimum of N10,000 monthly stipends to take care of themselves, or else we would rise up enmaase as a body to protest”, Oshilaja said.
Also earlier in his goodwill message, High Chief Agboola Awodiran, the Araba of Oworoland, said government’ should be responsible and responsive at all times to the plight of the aged and the elderly, especially the people living with disabilities.
Awodiran said that givers never lack, adding that whoever extends hand of fellowship or assistance to the people living with disability would never experience shame, just as he also appealed to the good Samaritans in the society not to neglect people living with disability because givers will never lack.
Also Chief Ifagbenga Oyesanya,the called on government to make available all that would make life easy for people ldisabilities disabilities and senior citizens in the soc, very.
Also Comrade Wale Balogun calls on all tiers of government to live up to their responsibility and cater for the people disabilities as when due.
