‘Wealthy Nigerians should learn giving back to society’

November 19, 2012 by Akinwale Aboluwade, Ibadan

Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu
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Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, has described as  unproductive, the excessive accumulation of wealth and lack of will to give by those in positions of authority in the country.

Chukwu spoke on Saturday at the inauguration of Chief Tony Anenih Geriatric Centre, University College Hospital, Ibadan.

He said by the time Nigerians understood the need to be “Positively selfish”, they would begin to pay attention to what would be of benefit to generations yet unborn.

He said, “The resolve by President Goodluck Jonathan to approve of the establishment of the Geriatric Centre is an indication of his commitment to longer life for the citizenry.

“It is good to give from what we have. It is even more blessed to give productively for the advantage of humanity. The centre might be of immense value to the endower (Anenih) in his later years or those closely related to him. This gesture should be emulated by every Nigerian.”

Anenih said study had shown that the population of the elderly in the developing countries was on the increase.

He said, “What studies show is that the population of the elderly is rising more rapidly in developing countries than in developed ones. It is expected that by 2020, almost 70 per cent of the world’s elderly people will be in developing countries (700 million as against 318 million in the developed world).

“While it is good news that more and more people are likely to live longer, we must be alarmed that the facilities to cater for them are virtually non-existent. If the truth must be told, apart from a few exceptional cases, not much is being done in Nigeria by way of planning for the welfare and health of old people.

“There is hardly any consideration for them in our health planning, policies and budgetary allocations. Nobody seems to be thinking about the aged in Nigeria, because those who make policies do so in their primes and are often too caught up to know that sooner or later, old age, with all its complications, would creep on everyone.”

The Chief Medical Director, UCH, Temitope Alonge, said the 2010 and 2011 annual statistical report of clinic attendance and ward admissions at the UCH showed a steady increase in the population of aged persons – from 65 years and above.