BY ADEYEMI ROBINSON-ADEFIOYE
The First Lady of Ekiti State, ERELU BISI FAYEMI, has advocated for proper care and attention for the aged by their relatives and the society.
ERELU FAYEMI said this at the ceremony to commence the burial rites of her adopted mother, MAMA JOLAADE OSHO who passed away on Monday in Ikere Ekiti at the age of 110 years.
The First Lady advised relatives and the society to make deliberate efforts at giving care and concern for the aged around them, noting that old age must have made them fragile hence in need of help at all times. She also noted that some of the aged may have their children or relatives far away from them, therefore people in the same neighbourhood with them should endeavour to show love and care for them regardless.
ERELU FAYEMI berated the idea of avoiding aged people and tagging them, especially women, as witches, citing mama OSHO’S story as an example. She said old age is a stage of life that we all pray for hence those in that category should be well respected and cared for.
It would be recalled that fate brought late MAMA JOLAAADE OSHO and ERELU FAYEMI together when the First Lady’s team went round the 16 local governments of Ekiti State for enumeration of beneficiaries of “Ounje Arugbo”, a social investment programme by the First Lady where food items are packaged for the aged every month.
MAMA JOLAADE was found in very poor living condition alone. She was said to have been banished from the town because she lost all her children and was tagged a ‘witch’.
Until her death ,MAMA OSHO was cared for and nurtured by ERELU BISI FAYEMI.
