Naira Redesign Policy Brought ‘Enormous Hardship’ To Older Citizens: COSROPIN

The Coalition of Societies for the Rights of Older Persons in Nigeria, COSROPIN, has said the Naira redesign policy has brought enormous hardship and pain to older citizens in the country.

The President of COSROPIN, Senator Eze Ajoku OFR, made this statement at a press briefing recently in Abuja.

According to him, the federal and state governments must offer palliatives to alleviate the current hardship the new policy has caused for seniors, the poor, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups in the nation.

He said, “ It is therefore imperative that actions are taken to mitigate the sufferings of these categories of persons because some have died trying to navigate the difficult situation created by the cash swap policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

“We should note that a lot of older persons have pre-existing medical conditions like diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, stroke among other ailments and there are situation where they need money to buy their drugs, move from one point to another to avoid isolation and loneliness while some have resorted to trade by barter as a coping mechanism” the COSROPIN President stated.

He also urged banks to set up a counter specifically for the elderly and those with impairments, arguing that older people are accustomed to writing checks and getting cash from a teller.

“Account officers should support older persons who’ are their customers by specifically arranging for them to come in at a stipulated time to collect cash no matter how small while for those in rural areas, banks should deploy a community based approach to enable them have access to money” He stressed

Speaking about the general election, COSROPIN’s president stated that while the group does not endorse any one political party, it does urge its members to vote honestly.

He urged INEC to set up the appropriate safeguards for the elderly, including seating, water, first aid kits, and priority lines so they may exercise their right to vote.

He consequently took advantage of the occasion to once again make a plea to President Muhammadu Buhari to enact the Older People Rights and Privileges Bill in order to better aid the nation’s senior citizens.