A Former Greater Accra Regional Minister, and a former Member of Parliament of Shai-Osudoku in The Greater Accra Region, Michael Afedi Gizo, now Chief of Agomeda, Nene Nagai Kassa VIII has said Senior Citizens like him have been neglected by The State.
He said, The Senior Citizens made up of persons with different background and expertise ranging from Law, Engineering, Journalism, Politics, Architecture etcetera were the people who have laid a very solid for foundation upon which the current general is building on but….“we are neglected by the very people who are benefiting today, from our hard work”
According to him, “I wish somebody has given me the salaries they are giving to people now. During our time somebody says you’ve to do national service. You don’t have to take salaries and we left with nothing”
“If I tell you my pension money, you break your phone/recorder, he shocks the Journalists”.
He made these revelations at the event organized by The Melcom Group of Companies under auspices of The Group Chairman, Bhagwan Khubchandani to celebrate over 250 Senior Citizens (retired Senior and Public Servants) from across The Country at the GBC Club House, Accra on Friday, 31 August 2018, to drink, dine, dance and speak out their minds on national issues.
On his part, The Former Director-General of GBC, and immediate past Chairman of the Ghana Association of past Broadcasters of GBC David Anaglate, called on the government and other stakeholders to produce a Senior Citizen ID as envisaged by the past government in order for them to be treated as special people in hen visit Banks, hospitals, Bus Terminals and other Public Places.
Mr. Anaglate said, “we go to banks and we are made to queue with people who are young enough to be our grandsons and granddaughters. Some of The Bank Officials don’t even know us, so we need The Card to help us access these places without any difficulty”.
According to him, the previous Government through the Minister of Gender has started the registration process from rural areas but “as we speak we don’t know what has happened to the project”.
The director of communications at The Melcom Group of Companies, a Veteran Broadcaster, Godwin Avenorgbo agreed with his colleagues and stressed the point that, “these people know what they are talking about, when people take over the administration, various offices and departments, they think they know it all.
They neglect the older people who have been there before, but there must be a continuation of the process, process intends of knowledge sharing which is where in an advance countries, seminars are held for people who are experienced to share with the young once who are coming on the job.
So that we don’t lose the experience, so they right, “Senior Citizens have been neglected in this country” not by government but by the people who have taken over various offices”.
Mr, Avenogbo said, the maiden edition of Melcom’s Senior Cititzens celebration is to give voice and create platform for them to speak, “our next step is to organize seminars, for individuals to share their managerial expertise with the young once”.
He seized the opportunity to congratulate all Senior Citizens in Ghana for rendering service to make Ghana a good sovereign state with warm business environment.
“Melcom is here in Ghana to serve and provide service. Our service we believe is better understood through a process of giving back to society hence we take our Corporate Social Responsibility seriously”.
“We have therefore set up The Melcom Care Foundation to provide support in two critical areas that are linked to National Development, Capacity Building and High Productivity. These are EDUCATION and HEALTH.
Under this scheme, The Group has awarded scholarships to 30 children of staff of Melcom Group covering class one to University. A few of the beneficiaries have graduated. The latest being a Biomedical Physics graduated from KNUST Kumasi, “indeed my office has just completed the selection through competitive committee assessment scheme for another 13 beneficiaries for 2018/19 academic year as soon as Management gives approvals”.
The Health sector has benefited tremendously from our support and l can assure fellow Ghanaians that we will do more, Godwin Avenorgbo added.
Meanwhile, during this year’s Senior Citizens’ Day Luncheon in Accra on Sunday 1st July, 2018. The date is also celebrated in commemoration of the day Ghana gained Republican status, in 1960 Vice President Bawumia has made major pronouncements including Government interventions such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme, which he said, it has provided direct monetary transfer grants to some 259,853 aged persons who are 65 years and above in extreme poor households; activation of over 500,000 NHIS cards for persons aged 70 years and older.
He also stated that, “the soon-to-be-introduced Freedom Pass for aged persons to assist them gain priority access to social services such as transport and health”
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has pledged government’s commitment to implement policies and programmes geared towards the comfort and well-being of those who have served the nation all their lives and are now retired.
Story by Edzorna Francis Mensah
