Funmi Olaitan, Ibadan
Nigerian Association of Social Work Educators (NASWE) has raised the alarm that inability of previous and present governments to cater for the elderly in Nigeria has deliberately condemned them to extreme poverty, slum, ill-health, loneliness and despair.
The association said this in a communique issued at the end of its 3rd Annual General Meeting/National Conference themed "Social Welfare Services Under A Recessive Economy in Nigeria", held at Federal University Lafia.
NASWE in the communique made available to journalists in Ibadan on Friday by its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Jamal Ali Ahmed, observed that most elderly in Nigeria lack basic care which is having negative effects on their socio-economic and cultural lives.
The association which is the umbrella body of lecturers in tertiary institutions offering courses in Social Work, however advised that for the situation to be ameliorated, government at all levels should adopt palliative care, and support geriatric and home-based services for the elderly.
It also decried the increasing number of inmates awaiting trial in Nigerian prisons and the deplorable state of prisoners, stating that this is affecting the major goals of rehabilitation, reformation and re-integration of the convicted and confined criminals.
NASWE then called on the Federal Government for total overhaul of the Nigerian prison system to make it habitable and achieve its objectives of reforming, rehabilitating and re-integration.
It also called attention to the plight of the Nigerian child being neglected, ignored, abused and very often brazenly ill-treated, noting that though, there have been some efforts in meeting the needs of vulnerable children in vulnerable households by governments/non-governmental organizations, these efforts are grossly inadequate.
The communique read in part, "The inability of the Nigerian society to come up with welfare packages for the elderly deliberately condemns them to extreme poverty, slum, ill-health, loneliness and despair. The Federal, state and local governments should adopt palliative care, support geriatric and home-based services for the elderly.
"The conference observed that: The Nigerian child is still being neglected, ignored, abused and very often brazenly ill-treated. Though, there have been efforts in meeting the needs of the vulnerable children in vulnerable households by Governments/non-governmental organizations, these efforts are grossly inadequate.
"That women are not empowered enough to contribute positively to community development. Women’s multi-purpose cooperative has not been able to meet the economic needs of women. The economic and educational disadvantage of women affects their ability to make reproductive decisions, and this has implications for HIV/AIDS infections.
"Accessing family planning services and utilization of contraceptives is still very difficult for women in Nigeria.
"The inability of the Nigerian society to come up with welfare packages for the elderly deliberately condemns them to extreme poverty, slum, ill-health, loneliness and despair. The multiplicity of inmates awaiting trial in Nigerian prisons and the deplorable state of prisoners affects the major goals of rehabilitation, reformation and re-integration of the convicted and confined criminals."
Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Lafia, Mr Mohammed Sanusi Liman, while declaring the conference open, congratulated NASWE for the success in holding the 3rd national conference and annual general meeting.
He lauded NASWE for the choice of the university as venue of the conference, and expressed the extent to which the profession of social work is dear to his heart.
He then pledged his support to ensure social work degree programme in the University earns an accreditation, urging participants to make contributions that would not only be relevant to social work profession but Nigeria as a whole, particularly in this recessive economy.
During the conference, there was presentation of papers in areas such as Child’s rights and priviledges, women’s contribution to community development, women’s multipurpose cooperative society, strategies of NGOs in meeting the needs of vulnerable children in vulnerable households.
Others include Women empowerment and contribution to reproductive health decision making, factors associated with utilization of family, planning services, prison rehabilitation and the plight of prisons in Nigeria and reform agenda.
