BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
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Professor Uzoma Okoye of the Department of Social Work, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) has said that stigma assumptions about aging are heavily embedded within social cognition, urging Nigerians to support aging business since everybody is a shareholder.
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Okoye who is the first professor in the department to deliver inaugural in UNN said this in Nsukka on Thursday while delivering the university’s 195 Inaugural Lecture tilted: “Aging PLC :A business where Everyone is a shareholder but not aware. Can Social Work Help?”
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She said, “aging PLC is a limited liability company where every Nigeria and those yet unborn are shareholders but not aware.
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“Unfortunately this aging PLC is not business where you have option to be shareholders or not as everybody is a shareholder.
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“Why it’s imperative to support aging people is because whether you like it not you start aging right from the day you are born.
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“Unlike other companies where there are board members given the authority to run the company but in aging PLC everyone is a board member,” she said.
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She said that, findings from her PhD research work revealed that attitude, stigma and assumptions about aging were heavily embedded within social cognition.
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“It’s generally believed by Nigerians that age come with inevitable physical and cognitive decay
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“With this attitude to the aged, some consider themselves as social burden and have strong sense of”waiting for the death.
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“We should all put smiles on the faces of old people as way of giving them sense of belonging as well as enable them to live longer,”she said
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The University teacher urged people to see the need to establish Adult Day Care just as Children Day Care to give old people the required care and attention they needed to live longer.
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“Some people may say Adult Day Care or Old People’s Homes is not part of our culture in this part of the world but we must adapt with the changing world realities, she said.
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The Professor of Social Work tasked her department to take the responsibility of sensitising and educating Nigerians on the need to have use of Adult Day Care for older people to enable them to live longer for their families and the society.
“Students in Social Work department should take this as part of their responsibility in their service to humanity,”she said
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Okoye expressed special appreciation to her husband for his love, care and maximum support to her at all time.
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“My husband is the best husband in the world, if there is reincarnation I will marry him in my next world,” she said.
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She also expressed appreciation to her family members, the university all and sundry who contributed in one thing or the other to make her what she is now.
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In a remark Professor Charles Igwe the Vice-Chancellor of UNN said that, the university’s inaugural lecture remains a very important lecture for professors.
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Igwe said that, the topic of Okoye’s lecture was unique and important as it made everyone to know that he or she is a shareholder in aging
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He commended her for presenting a lecture that would go a long way to promote care, love and longevity of old people in the society.
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The inaugural lecture was highly attended by the UNN university community as well as people from different walks of life
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The highlight was presentation of inaugural certificate to Professor Okoye by the Vice Chancellor of the university.
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