The Plight Of Older Persons

NEWS COMMENTARY COMMEMORATES INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR OLDER PERSONS ON 1ST OCTOBER 2019

On 14th December 1990, the United Nations General Assembly by Resolution 45/106 designated 1st October, the International Day of Older Persons. This is in recognition and appreciation of the varied contributions that older persons make to the growth and development of the family, society and the nation at large. It is also to draw attention to the state of their well-being and create opportunities for all, particularly our governments to reflect on their levels of commitments towards the improvement of the quality of life of older persons. It is an opportunity as well for individuals to re-examine their own levels of preparations towards old age and the fulfillment of their responsibilities towards older persons in their families and society.

The global theme for this year’s commemoration is “The Journey to Age Equality”. Unfortunately, as has been the case over the years, the State does not see the need to commemorate the Day. The reason, if one may guess is not far-fetched. It is a matter of priority and that there are relatively more important and pressing issues affecting “relevant” cohorts of our population than issues of older persons. But taking into consideration the fact that the President of the Republic is a Lead Focal Person in the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs and that this particular International day theme aligns to Goal 10 of the SDGs, one cannot continue to be silent on our approach to issues impacting on the well-being of the Ghanaian older person. One mind-boggling issue is the lackadaisical attitude we have adopted towards addressing issues bothering on the well-being of older persons. We are so fixated to offering them hand-outs instead of tackling the real issues impacting negatively on the quality of their lives. It took Ghana 13 years to develop a National Ageing Policy, 1997 to 2010 together with a 5-year Implementation Action Plan which was never put into action and which expired in 2015. The drafting of a National Older People’s Bill is already four years old and even though finalised after the sector ministry, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection had completed both Zonal and National Consultations on the Bill in 2018 and engaged the relevant Select Committee of Parliament on it. We have as usual taken a “break”. Was the revisit of the development of the Bill in 2018 a strategy by policy-makers to give the elderly of this country a false hope of work aimed at putting in place the required national structures to effectively address their basic needs? What has stalled the process of submitting the Bill to Cabinet to take a decision on it and possibly forward it to Parliament for passage?

It looks like we have to continue waiting. An aging population as we are presently experiencing in Ghana has both positive and negative implications for national development. It has the potential to overstretch many sectors of the economy-health, transportation and housing, among others and the earlier we put in place the necessary strategies to harness the many benefits of an aging population, the better it would be for us at our own old age.

Articles 37 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana laid the foundation for the purpose by making specific demands on the state to protect and promote their rights and to provide them with social assistance to enable them to live and maintain a decent standard of living. The issue at stake, therefore, has to do with constitutional rights, not a favour. Interestingly, Ghana’s democracy has an element of Gerontocracy, which is a government by the elderly. At least the current President of the Republic is in the old-age category and a sizeable number of our Parliamentarians and Ministers also qualify to be referred to as older persons by the fact that they have attained age 60 years and above. But it seems that what we have been experiencing is the fact that government by the elderly does not necessarily mean government for the elderly. We should not wait for the time for political election campaigns to make promises to get their votes. They are, for example also waiting for the institution of the Freedom Pass to ease their transportation challenges which was captured in the ruling NPP’s Manifesto and which His Excellency the President re-affirmed at the Senior Citizens Day Luncheon on 1st July 2017. Ghana can no longer relax with the adage that our virtues, traditions, values and practices inspire and characterize the provision of adequate mutual social and communal care, support and respect for older members of our society. Research findings indicate that the traditional system which adequately provided for them is under heavy pressure from social and economic changes, some of which we have described as “development” but which have left the older persons “behind”.  No one grows younger, but we can live in a Ghana where growing older would be celebrated rather than dreaded. Doing it right now is doing it right for our own future. It is a duty to the present generation of both the young and the old.

BY: EBENEZER ADJETEY-SORSEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HELPAGE GHANA AND SOCIAL POLICY ADVISOR, AFRICA PLATFORM FOR SOCIAL PROTECTION, NAIROBI-KENYA