Senior citizens and vulnerable groups play vital role in national development – Former Gender Minister

Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, former Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, has emphasized that senior citizens and vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, play a vital role in national development.

She stressed that they possess valuable experiences, skills, and perspectives that can contribute to policy-making, community-building, and social cohesion.

However, they often face exclusion, marginalization, and limited access to resources, hindering their full participation in society. Nana Oye, who is the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Gender, Children, and Social Protection Committee, stated at an event organized by the party to honour the elderly in Ashaiman as part of celebrations to mark Republic Day, which coincides with Senior Citizens Day.

The event, held on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at the Celestial School Complex in Ashaiman Official Town, was organized by the NDC's Gender, Children, and Social Protection Committee in partnership with the Member of Parliament for Ashaiman, Mr. Ernest Norgbey, and constituency executives.

Over 300 elderly people attended the event, which included stakeholders' engagement, home visits, and the presentation of gifts.

Nana Oye said the NDC recognizes the importance of inclusivity and empowerment for these groups. By capturing their concerns and ideas in their governance system, the party aims “to tap into their wisdom and experiences to inform policy decisions.”

The former Gender Minister noted that the NDC is seeking to consult them to address their specific needs and challenges, such as healthcare, social protection, and accessibility, which would be included in the party’s Election 2024 Manifesto.

She said through broad-based consultation, the NDC under former President John Dramani Mahama’s next government would promote their participation in economic opportunities, education, and skills development, ensure their voices are heard and represented in decision-making processes, and foster intergenerational dialogue and knowledge transfer.

By doing so, Nana Oye noted that the next NDC government would enhance the well-being and quality of life for senior citizens and vulnerable groups, leverage their contributions to drive sustainable development and social progress, strengthen social cohesion and community resilience, and demonstrate its commitment to inclusivity, equity, and social justice.

“By capturing the concerns and ideas of senior citizens and vulnerable groups, the NDC can create a more inclusive and equitable governance system that benefits all Ghanaians,” the former Gender Minister stated.

Nana Oye explained that the event aimed to recognize the contributions of senior citizens to national development and solicit their proposals and views for the NDC's 2024 manifesto.

It is consistent with the convention that started under the NDC to set aside every Republic Day, July 1, as Senior Citizens Day.

Republic Day, which commemorates Ghana's attainment of republican status from British colonial masters, was both a national holiday and an Elderly Day to recognize the immense contribution of senior citizens to national development. Unfortunately, it was curtailed by the NPP government in 2019.

"The NDC is a social democratic party, and we honour and cherish our senior citizens, especially in a year when they have suffered haircuts and where their investments have been curtailed... John Dramani Mahama has tasked our committee with Mr. Ernest Norgbey to organize this interaction with the elderly in Ashaiman,” she noted.

The MP for Ashaiman, Mr. Ernest Norgbey, emphasized that the constituency was chosen due to its strong NDC support and promised that the party's manifesto includes policies that will benefit senior citizens under a John Mahama-led administration in 2025.

The stakeholder engagement on Sunday at the Celestial School Complex at Ashaiman Official Town comes on the back of engagements with persons living with disabilities in Western Region towns, Essikado-Ketan and Shama, and Cape Coast in the Central Region.