Institutions sign agreement on Eban Elderly Welfare Card

Accra, Feb. 06, GNA - The Ministries Gender Children and Social Protection, and Transport, with the Metro Mass Transit Limited, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of the Eban Elderly Welfare.

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in January, 2015, launched the Eban Elderly Welfare Card to enable those who are 65 years and above to enjoy transport services at a 50 per cent discount.

At the signing ceremony in Accra, Mr John Alexander Ackon, the out-going Deputy Minister of Gender and Social Protection, said so far, 9,526 elderly persons from the Central, Greater Accra, Eastern, Volta and Western Regions, had been given the cards.

However, he said, 25,000 elderly persons were expected to register nationwide.

He said the Ministry had concluded negotiations with the Ghana Coordinating Transport Union and The Ghana Private Roads Transport Union, who had also agreed to offer priority services to the elderly.

He noted the Ghana Health Service and the banks had also agreed to offer the same priority services to the elderly; adding that, a Memorandum of Understanding to that effect would be executed soon.

'The Ministry is committed to ensuring that our elderly population is well taken care of, so that they can enjoy dignity in their old age,' Mr Ackon, who is the Ashanti Regional Minister-designate, stated.

Mrs Joyce Bawa-Mogtari, the Deputy Transport Minister, gave the assurance that the Government would continue to implement programmes that uphold the fundamental human rights of the aged and at the same time guarantee their active participation in the society at large.

'It is incumbent on us to ensure that the people who have contributed to the country's development are adequately compensated and that their right to a dignified and secured life after years of service to the country is guaranteed,' she said.

'In the not too distant future, most of us would have proudly joined the elderly class,' she said. 'It is, therefore, our duty to protect those who are old now, so that we can also enjoy a secured life when we get there,' she added.

She appealed to all and sundry to work together to ensure that the benefits that come together with the Eban Elderly Card are not eroded.

'I wish to take this opportunity to caution against misuse of the card and plead that the discount bus services for the aged being provided by the Metro Mass Transit Limited is not overexploited,' she said.

Mr Al-Hassan Ligbi, the Managing Director of Metro Mass Transit Ltd, said his outfit was happy and proud to be part of the laudable programme; adding, 'To build a prosperous nation, you should begin to look at how to make life easy and comfortable for your aged in society'.

'Going forward in terms of implementation, we have already rolled out over hundred buses to beef up our operations within the Accra and Tema areas.'

Mr Ligbi said the next procurement of vehicles would be aged and disabled friendly.

To improve the services in Accra, he said, they had opened 13 new routes, while in Tema new routes would be opened such as the Tema-Accra Beach Road, Tema-Afienya, Tema-Ashaiman and the Tema - Dawhenya roads.

The Managing Director announced that the fares of their buses remained unchanged.

Mr James Lartey, a representative of the Ghana Pensioners Association, lauded the Government for coming out with such an excellent initiative to alleviate the plight of the aged.

He complained about how some healthcare and bank staff improperly handled the aged at their respective facilities and appealed to them to change their attitudes towards the aged.

GNA