Home News Elderly Woman’s Struggle Highlights Dire State of Nigeria’s Leadership and Treatment of Senior Citizens – Obi

Elderly Woman’s Struggle Highlights Dire State of Nigeria’s Leadership and Treatment of Senior Citizens – Obi

by Nwabuko

By Chibuike Nwabuko

ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – The Labour Party presidential candidate in the February 25, 2023 general election, Peter Obi has narrated that his encounter with an elderly woman during an official visit to Shanahan College of Nursing Sciences in Nsukka highlights the dire state of Nigeria’s leadership and treatmwnt of senior citizens in the country.

This has raised serious concerns about the growing insensitivity and neglect within Nigeria’s political and institutional leadership, Obi said on his X account handle on Sunday.

According to the former governor of Anambra state, while interacting with students and staff at the college, a distressed elderly woman attempted to approach, struggling to be heard amidst the crowd. Despite attempts by others to push her away, the situation took a personal turn when I decided to speak with her and hear her story.

“The woman introduced herself as a retired civil servant who had dedicated her life to serving the nation. She shared her heart-wrenching experience: her pension had been withheld for some time, and despite being hospitalized for over a week with mounting medical bills, her greatest worry was that she had no money to even buy food.

“Her words struck a deep chord, leaving me feeling both angered and deeply saddened. Angered by the greed and materialism that has permeated the ranks of Nigeria’s leadership, denying the elderly their due, and saddened for her and many others whose struggles go unheard.

In my experience as a Governor, I understood the plight of the elderly. Upon inheriting a backlog of over N30 billion in unpaid pensions and gratuities, I made it a priority to settle these debts, understanding the critical role these payments play in the lives of senior citizens. To me, any government that fails to provide for its retirees in their vulnerable years is one devoid of compassion.

“After hearing her plight, I offered the woman immediate support and pledged to follow up on her case with the hospital. However, my greatest concern remains the countless others like her—elderly citizens suffering in silence across the nation, with no one to speak on their behalf.

“We must address this systemic failure. Nigeria must work for all its citizens, ensuring that every individual, especially the elderly, receives the dignity and rewards they deserve for their years of service. A New Nigeria is possible—and it starts with compassionate leadership,” Obi concluded.

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