The Centre for Human Rights Advocacy and Wholesome Society (CEHRAWS) has applauded Abia Governor, Dr Alex Otti, for assenting to Law No. 4 of 2025 establishing the State Senior Citizens Centre, describing it as one of the most thoughtful, humane, and rights-driven social protection laws enacted by any Nigerian state in recent years.
Otti recently signed the Abia State Senior Citizen bill into law, which entitles any citizen of the state who is 60 years old and above access to free medical and other benefits till death.
Reacting to the development, the CEHRAWS Executive Director, Comrade Chuka Okoye expressed delight that at a time when ageing populations across Nigeria face deepening neglect, poverty, and exclusion, Abia State has chosen a progressive path.
According to him, the governor is institutionalising dignity, care, and inclusion for senior citizens as a matter of governance, not charity.
“CEHRAWS welcomes the Abia State Government’s clarification that the new law is not a cash handout scheme nor political symbolism, but a structured, accountable social welfare framework.
The Abia State Senior Citizens Centre is neither a retirement home nor a place of abandonment.
Rather, it is a government-recognised coordination hub designed to provide psychosocial support, facilitate access to healthcare and social services, promote social engagement, enable skills-sharing and recreation, and serve as an advocacy platform for the protection of the rights of citizens aged 60 years and above.
“For decades, senior citizens have contributed immeasurably to Abia State’s development, economically, culturally, and socially, yet ageing has too often pushed many into vulnerability and invisibility.
“Law No. 4 of 2025 corrects this historic gap, replacing fragmented and informal interventions with a unified institutional response anchored in dignity, inclusion, and accountability,” Okoye noted.
The CEHRAWS boss noted that the law gives concrete expression to Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which declares the welfare of the people as the primary purpose of government, as well as Sections 16(2)(d) and 17(3), which obligate the State to provide social security, care, and protection for the aged.
He continued, “Internationally, the law aligns squarely with Nigeria’s obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Union Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons, and the United Nations Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, all of which emphasise dignity, participation, and social protection for older persons.”
The group, however, noted that for Abia State to firmly position itself as a national reference point for people-centred governance and humane social policy, the State Government must urgently clear all outstanding pensions and gratuities owed to retired public servants.
He regretted that while the Senior Citizens Law lays a strong institutional foundation for care and inclusion, the persistence of unpaid pensions directly undermines the lived dignity and wellbeing of many elderly citizens.
The CEHRAWS further commended the placement of the Senior Citizens Centre under the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, ensuring transparency, administrative coherence, and alignment with the State’s broader social welfare agenda.
According to the group, the funding framework, anchored in lawful budgetary allocations and due process, also strengthens sustainability and public accountability.
“We therefore call on the Abia State Government to immediately publish and gazette the full text of Law No. 4 of 2025, alongside clear implementation guidelines, to enable public awareness, civic oversight, and effective access by senior citizens across all communities in the State.
“This landmark legislation sends a powerful national message: ageing is not a burden, senior citizens are not expendable, and care is a responsibility of the State. By combining this law with decisive action on pension arrears, Abia State can firmly set a gold standard for rights-based, compassionate governance in Nigeria.
“CEHRAWS stands ready to partner with the Abia State Government, the media, and civil society actors to support public education, monitor implementation, and ensure that this law delivers real protection, inclusion, and dignity for elderly citizens across Abia State,” Okoye said.
