* Also Describes African Road Builders Award To Buhari As Recognition Of President's Infrastructural Strides
By Chinwendu Agoha (Governance Reporter)
The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for establishing an agency for senior citizens (elderly people above 70 years) in the country.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, the group noted that this is a novel idea that has come at the right time. The centre to be known as the National Senior Citizens Centre has a 12-member board headed by a Director-General to oversee its activities.
"To realise the objectives of establishing the Centre, the President also approved the constitution of persons of proven integrity drawn from relevant Ministries and organisations. The National Senior Citizens Centre Act was passed into law in 2017 with a mandate to provide adequate social services to cater for the quality of lives of our senior citizens.
"The agency will cater for the needs of the elderly in the country, especially in the areas of healthcare, provision of housing, feeding, adequate social services, education, and pension".
BMO noted that this is the first time in the history of Nigeria that the Federal Government is paying attention to the needs of the country’s elderly and acknowledged the good intentions of President Muhammadu Buhari to make life easier for the senior citizens, as this is the right step in the right direction.
In another development, the BMO also described the emergence of President Buhari, winner of the 2021 Great Builder Super Prize, as a major recognition of the infrastructural development Nigeria is witnessing under his watch.
According to the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) in a statement signed by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, the irony is that the prestigious award sponsored by the Africa Development Bank (AFDB) is coming at a time the country is doing so much with less.
"We see it as a worthy honour because the selection committee depended on experts on road networks, transport and sustainable development in the continent to arrive at the decision that President Buhari headed over shoulders above his fellow African leaders.
"And in rating Nigeria high in infrastructures development under the President, the committee cited the country's efforts at improving road safety and quality for road users, as well as in advancing major transport projects especially in the rail sector
"For us, it is not surprising as it is a confirmation of all we have always said about the President doing far more than his predecessors in the area of road construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation, as well as in modernising and expanding Nigeria's rail network.
"We invite Nigerians to note that the Africa Road Builders selection committee carries out a yearly evaluation of ambitious and tangible projects with real impact on the mobility of Africans before arriving at a decision to honour deserving leaders.
"And to nominate President Buhari as a recipient for the award to be presented on June 24, it considered what his administration met on the ground with what he has added to the nation's landscape in his tenure".
BMO recalled that this is not the first time since 2015 that the President would be getting accolades in the continent.
"Only last year, he was singled out for praise among his peers in ECOWAS as West Africa's Covid-19 champion. This was as a result of the proactive steps President Buhari took at the onset of the pandemic to prevent it from overwhelming the nation's health system.
"We recall that those measures also caught the attention of the World Health Organisation (WHO) which urged many countries to take a cue from Nigeria at that time. FIt is also noteworthy that the President was also pronounced the African Union Anti-corruption champion in 2018. So the Babacar Ndiaye trophy is his third major honour in four years and we dare say that Nigerians should be proud to have a President that is well respected for his achievements in office".
BMO reassured Nigerians that President Buhari would continue to make the country proud. NNL.
