Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, has restated President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to improve the welfare of senior citizens in the country.

Mr Alake said this in an interview in Ikoro-Ekiti, his country home.

According to the minister, Mr Tinubu is determined to accord dignity to senior citizens by giving them a new lease of life in line with his Renewed Hope Mantra.

Mr Alake said senior citizens had been adequately factored in Mr Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’.

Mr Alake ha,d on Saturday, distributed 1,200 bags of rice to the elderly in Ekiti, irrespective of the political party they belonged to.

He thanked the president for listening to the people and demonstrating a caring heart.

The minister said, “1,200 bags of rice were made available to me and each minister to further supplement the established distribution channels. We need to reach out to our aged fathers and mothers at times like this to demonstrate the Omoluabi values of taking care of the old in the community. In the spirit of inclusion, it is important that we channel this intervention to mainly elderly citizens.

“This is because they do not have the strength to compete for welfare goods such as these at the established centres. We have taken their inventory, and we are delivering to them.

“Subsequent interventions will target other segments of the populace, such as widows, orphans, persons living with disabilities and students in higher institutions of learning.” 

The minister said that the onus was on the people to care for the elderly by focusing on issues affecting them, adding that every individual would grow old and require the support of the younger generation at some point in life.

Mr Alake urged all public-spirited Ekiti people to lend a hand to the needy, adding that all hands must be on deck to support efforts to rid the state of hunger and poverty. 

(NAN)