Abia Government Declares Old Age Must Not Mean NeglectThe Abia State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the rights, dignity, and welfare of senior citizens. It declared that old age should never become a sentence of neglect, abuse, or abandonment.

Speaking at the 2026 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day event in Umuahia, the Wife of the Governor, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, represented by the Wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adaeze Emetu, said the state would continue to strengthen social protection programmes.

She noted that the Abia State Senior Citizens Law of 2023 was enacted to ensure older persons are not forgotten.

Mrs. Otti described senior citizens as repositories of wisdom and sacrifice whose contributions deserve recognition. She highlighted ongoing efforts such as prompt pension payments, economic empowerment programmes, cash support, medical outreaches, and the distribution of food and clothing to elderly residents across the state’s 17 local government areas.

The Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Mrs. Ngozi Blessing Felix, stressed the need to turn awareness into concrete actions that protect the elderly from abuse and neglect. Officials also pointed to the Abia Senior Citizens Centre, which registers older residents and coordinates welfare services.

Stakeholders at the event urged families, communities, and institutions to create safe and supportive environments for older persons. They called for collective efforts to ensure every senior citizen in Abia lives with dignity, security, and respect.

Photo credit: Punch Newspaper