President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the take-off of the National Senior Citizens Centre and the constitution of a 12-member board.
The Centre was passed into law as the National Senior Citizens Centre Act, 2017 to cater for the needs of senior citizens (70 and above) in the country.
Buhari appointed AVM M. A. Muhammad (rtd) as the Board Chairman; Dr Emem Omokaro as the Director-General.
Members are Mansur Kuliya – Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development; Dr Chris Osa Isokpunwu – Ministry of Health; Umar Abdullahi Utono – Federal Ministry of Works and Housing; and Dr John Olushola Magbadelo – Ministry of Labour.
Others include: Mrs Bulus Friya Kimde – Ministry of Women Affairs; Sani Ibrahim Mustapha – Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD); Prof. Usman Ahmed – Geriatric Association of Nigeria; Arc. Mrs Victoria Onu – Coalition of Societies for the Rights of Older Persons (CORSOPIN); Dr. Dorothy Nwodo, and Prof. Mohammed Mustapha Namadi.
The President also approved the appointment of Ahmed Mustapha Habib as the new Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to replace AVM Muhammad (rtd) who is now Chairman of the National Senior Citizens Centre.
The appointments are for an initial period of four years.