The Vice President of the Republic, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has expressed government’s appreciation for the contributions and sacrifices of the aged in Ghana’s development agenda over the years.

According to Vice President Bawumia, the nation’s aged are a “valuable human resource” whose contribution to national development cannot be over-emphasised.

Vice President Bawumia, has therefore pledged government’s commitment to implement policies and programmes geared towards the comfort and well being of those who have served the nation all their lives and are now retired.

“Let me express the profound gratitude of President Akufo-Addo and all Ghanaians to you for the dedicated and persevering service you have rendered to this country. Yes, some of us may be slow, some of us may have our challenges, but we believe that there is still a lot more capabilities in you. I urge you to continue sharing your experience and wisdom to building a good society for the future. You are still our valuable human resource.”

Vice President Bawumia indicated that Government, through interventions such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme, which provides direct monetary transfer grants to some 259,853 aged persons who are 65 years and above in extreme poor households; activation of over 500,000 NHIS cards for persons aged 70 years and older; and the soon-to-be-introduced Freedom Pass for aged persons to assist them gain priority access to social services such as transport and health that they may require are examples of such programmes, with more in the offing.

Vice President Bawumia affirmed government’s commitment when he addressed this year’s Senior Citizens’ Day Luncheon in Accra on Sunday 1st July, 2018. The date is also celebrated in commemoration of the day Ghana gained Republican status, in 1960.

“Our cherished and veteran senior citizens, I know that at this stage of your lives you are more desirous to see the progress of a country that you have and continue to help build. Government recognizes this and I will want to assure you on behalf of the President that we will do all we can to make Ghana a better resting place for the aged and retirees,” Vice President Bawumia stated.

Vice President Bawumia called on the nation’s senior citizens to help in orienting the minds of the younger generation towards preserving Ghana’s peace and security.

Such an orientation, he stated, would also help in the push for holistic national development and wellbeing, and reaffirm Ghana’s role as a pacesetter in the Africa.

“We would rely on you to help in the orientation of the entire nation, particularly the young ones to the realization that we are a nation with a common destiny, and therefore the interest of the nation should override any other interest because if we fail as a country, we fail together and if we succeed, we do so together.

“On this important day in our history I wish to urge all Ghanaians to put their political, ethnic and religious differences aside and help build the country and make it a force to reckon with on the African continent. We should be seen to be indivisible even in our differences.”