A consultant neurologist at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Dr Abdul-Haadi Thiamy, has urged Nigerians to place premium on care for the elderly and their aged parents to strengthen their health and make them live longer.
Tihamiy made the call during the 28th anniversary Ramadan lecture of Ola-Olu Muslim Society of Nigeria held in honour of the late Sheikh Adiatullah Alaye at The Wings Schools Central Mosque, Iwo, Osun State.
Sheikh Adiatullah Bello Alaye alias Yagboyaju was the Otun Imam of Iwoland. The Islamic scholar, who was the guest speaker at the lecture, said young people who obeyed Almighty Allah in this regard would enjoy unending blessings.
Speaking on the topic: ‘Aging and the Care of the Elderly: Prophetic Tradition and Orthodox Science’, the guest speaker described old age as a period of a degenerating entity in which a person undergoes a process of growing old.
Thiamy also said that elderly people should be kept in the midst of people who are mentally and socially attached to them.
According to him, Islam already explains and mandates the young to manage the different stages of aging, adding that at age 64, the process of decline in man sets in.
“Old age is inevitable. Hence, I admonish young people to show care for the elderly and their old parents, this is very important because those who obey Almighty in this regard will certainly enjoy the blessings of God.
“Islam believes in caring for old and elderly people, and has mandated them to care for and manage the different stages of their old parents. Between the ages of 45 to 64 is described as middle age, while old age begins to set in at 65, there is the need for people to spend their youthful days well so that ageing will not be too difficult for them to manage.”
The Muslim cleric said some of the ways of caring for the old people include giving them attention, provision of quality food, drugs, regular media check up, monitoring the kinds of food they eat and so on He urged the elderly and aged people to engage themselves in healthy living such as good exercise, taking food that will strengthen them among others.
Speaking, the Chairman of the Organising Committee, Dr. Dhikrullahi Adetona Olurode, said the essence of the Ramadan Lecture was to create awareness on the need for young people to imbibe the lesson of Ramadan and to honour their parents during old age by caring for them.
“The Ramadan Lecture was aimed at bringing together the less privileged in the society to benefit from the medical outreach of the Muslim society.”
He urged young people to take care of their aged ones in order not to lose values that bind us with them in terms of extended family relationships.
“I urge everyone to live by the lesson of Ramadan and the message of the lecture and also try to be kind to other people now and after Ramadan,” he said.
Also Speaking, the Olupo of Oluponna in Ayedire Council, Osun State, Oba AbdulRafiu Mosobalaje, Bamgboye II, Ilufemiloye Ariwajoye I, lauded the initiative and efforts of Prof. Lai Olurode for Ramadan lecture.
The royal father described the programme as historic, capable of rekindling the lost values of family members, adding that it will go a long way to refresh the memory of the new generation on the need to take care of the elderly and their aged parents.
A member of the medical outreach and a medical consultant, Dr. Seriki Jide, described the outreach as beneficial to the people of the community, adding that it is essentially to cater for Primary Health Care issues.
According to Jide, the concept at the community levels was to provide drugs to the less privileged and to identify cases beyond the primary health issues and make referral to teaching hospitals like Bowen.
He encouraged the beneficiaries to ensure they administer the drugs given to them in accordance with necessary prescriptions. Also present at the event was The Weekend Editor of The Guardian, Alhaji Kabir Alabi Garba and others.
