Ghana could do more for her elderly; innovation is the key

“I shall pass through this world but once.Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, Let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, For I shall not pass this way again.”-  Stephen Grellet 1773-1855

Many people living in Ghana seem to agree that a lot more can be done to enable elderly women and men lead a more comfortable life in our towns and villages. As we visit lorry stations, local clinics, while going to church or the mosque, we meet and interact with our own relations, schoolmates and office colleagues who may have retired a few years earlier.

In most cases, the rapid deterioration in their physical appearance and fatigued looks leaves a sour taste in our mouths.

Fear of retirement

Nobody needs a special study to find out why several Ghanaians age rapidly and less gracefully on leaving office after attaining the age of 60 years. The inadequate pension amount they receive as they manage their lives in their nuclear and extended families, coupled with their numerous social responsibilities, have engendered so many anxieties among workers in several sectors of the economy.

Let me cite one interesting example. In the early part of 2017, there was a newspaper report that the Ghana Education Service (GES) had put an embargo on teachers who swore affidavits to alter their ages because the trend was worrying. In the majority of cases of alteration, the individuals involved wanted to change their dates of birth. This was obviously aimed at paving the way for them to stay in their jobs longer than they should.  This practice appears to be common in the civil and public service.

Unenviable plight of the retired

In a simple way, we can describe the condition of the retired worker as the situation in which one receives a significantly reduced fixed income for the rest of his or her life. This special person shops from the same market with active workers and pays for electricity, water and transportation even though the prices of these goods and services could be increased several times in the same year. What about health care which would have become an unpalatable necessity because of his ageing body? This is more disheartening because with age comes with considerable deterioration in ones physical condition and general well- being.

Way forward

Let us consider a few ideas. As a responsible and caring society, we should not live in despair. We should put pressure on those in charge to take practical measures to ameliorate the condition of the elderly. Truth be told if our politicians come to us to ask for our votes during campaign times, that is the best time for all Ghanaians to make all the positive suggestions that the in-coming administration must implement for the common good of all. Age does not discriminate; we shall all grow old someday.

First of all, we are privileged to be a country which exports oil. Thankfully, additional reserves have been discovered which would augment our total output in the near future. The magnanimous thing we can do for the elderly and “succeeding elders” is to invest one per-cent of our oil revenue into a special account for pensioners in both the formal and informal sectors.  From this account, the SSNIT would pay a Cost-of-Living Allowance to the elderly, say every six months.

Again, we should consider free internal travel for our elderly women and men. Can we not legislate that all Ghanaians aged 60 years and above pay half rate for the public buses they board? I am happy to note that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has made some announcement in this respect. We await its full implementation.

My third suggestion is something that would be beneficial to the young, the active and the elderly.  Every community needs a social centre where one can visit to play indigenous games such as OWARE, DAME, and LUDO and also to interact with other people. To the elderly, such facilities are a necessity otherwise they would be forced to remain at home worrying and whining over trivial and endless issues. Perhaps, the districts could set the ball rolling by constructing one community centre in each district. This will encourage excursions within the same district and enhance the lifestyle of the elderly.

Hope for a better future

I do not know the source of my optimism but I believe strongly that the government of Ghana would soon adopt very concrete measures to improve the living conditions of elderly women and men in the country. Many new appointments have been made and several others will follow. All these public officials would be growing old some time to come. Therefore, it is extremely beneficial that public officers, wherever they may be, would work hard to implement all the good policies that the government would introduce to help the elderly. To me, that would be a mark of wisdom.

Since our elders have long told us that a word to the wise is good enough, I will end here and salute all those who are working assiduously to make the elderly healthy and happy. Cheers!

The writer is Chairman of Onua Pa Foundation, an NGO that advocates for better care for the elderly in deprived communities. His e-mail is onuapa70@gmail.com