By ISMAILA CHAFE

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the take-off of the National Senior Citizens Centre with Dr Emem Omokaro as Director-General and 12 members with immediate effect.

Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, confirmed this in a statement in Abuja on Monday.

According to the presidential aide, the approval is in line with Section 16 (2) (d) of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution as amended, which mandates the state to provide adequate social services and improve the quality of life of the elderly.

The National Senior Citizens Centre was passed into law as the National Senior Citizens Centre Act, 2017 to cater for the needs of senior citizens (70 years and above) in the country.

“To realise this noble objective and ensure relevance and spread, persons of proven integrity from key ministries and organisations have been appointed into the centre’s Governing Board,” Shehu added.

Consequently, he said the president had approved the appointment of retired AVM. M.A. Muhammad as Chairman of the Board, with Mansur Kuliya, representing the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development as member.

Dr Chris Osa Isokpunwu, representing Federal Ministry of Health; Mr Umar Abdullahi Utono, representing Federal Ministry of Works and Housing; and Dr John Olushola Magbadelo, representing Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity were also appointed as members.

Other members include: Mrs Bulus Friya Kimde, representing Federal Ministry of Women Affairs; Mr Sani Mustapha, representing Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) and Prof. Usman Ahmed, representing Geriatric Association of Nigeria.

Other members are Mrs Victoria Onu, representing Coalition of Societies for the Rights of Older Persons (CORSOPIN) and three other stakeholders namely Dr Dorothy Nwodo, Prof. Mohammed Namadi and Dr Emem Omokaro who also serves as Director General.

The president also approved the appointment of Ahmed Mustapha Habib as new Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to replace retired AVM Muhammad, now the Chairman of the National Senior Citizens Centre.

“The appointments are for an initial period of four years,” the statement revealed. (NAN)

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