The Abia State Government has clarified that the establishment of the Abia Senior Citizens Centre by Governor Alex Otti is aimed at providing social protection and improved access to healthcare for elderly residents, and not for the distribution of money.
The government stressed that the centre is neither a retirement home nor a facility for abandoned senior citizens in the state.
This clarification follows rumours circulating across Abia State that senior citizens would receive monthly stipends and other financial packages through the centre.
Addressing the issue, the Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, explained that the centre is designed to create a reliable database of elderly persons in the state, protect their rights, and facilitate access to healthcare and social welfare services in collaboration with relevant ministries and agencies.
“It is important to emphasise that the Abia State Senior Citizens Centre is not a free money distribution scheme,” Kanu said.
“Rather, it is a structured social welfare and support system designed to provide care, coordination, dignity, and inclusion for senior citizens, not direct cash handouts.”
