Some of the Honourees.
By Ita Williams, Calabar
The National Senior Citizens Center (NSCC) has honoured 50 distinguished alumni from the Hope Waddell Training Institution.
This is done in commemoration of the institution’s 130th anniversary, recognizing them as senior citizens of Nigeria.
The investiture ceremony which promotes intergenerational learning and youth mentoring, was held on Saturday, March 8, at the Assembly Hall of Hope Waddell in Calabar.
Director General of NSCC, Dr. Emem Omokaro, was represented at the event by Mr. Omini Oden, Head of Corporate Affairs, Media, and Communications.
Stressing that the NSCC, established by the NSCC Act of 2017 and inaugurated in 2021, is dedicated to addressing the challenges met by the aged while enhancing their quality of life and well-being.
“We are excited to showcase our various transformative and innovative programs, particularly our Continuing Engagement Bureau programme, which provides senior citizens with opportunities to contribute to their communities through work schemes and labor market agreements,” Omokaro stated.
Explaining further, “Today, we present our senior alumni with the position of NSCC Distinguished Envoy for Intergenerational Learning and Youth Mentoring. NSCC facilitates engagement platforms for both the Institute and its alumni to bring to life the theme of Hope Waddell’s 130th anniversary: ‘Glorious Heritage: Inspiring the Future.”
Omokaro elaborated on the NSCC’s objective, stating that the center seeks to connect senior citizens with voluntary opportunities in fields of interest, enabling them to generate or supplement their income.
Urging the Aluminus to always act as ambassadors, emphasizing the value of formal mentoring relationships in promoting intergenerational knowledge sharing.
“In line with the NSCC Continuing Engagement Bureau Program, we invite alumni aged 60 and above from Hope Waddell to embrace this platform to operationalize the theme ‘Glorious Heritage: Inspiring the Future,’” she noted.
The goal, she added, is to promote intergenerational activities, cross-generational learning, and life coaching to inspire younger generations.
Following the investiture, President of the Hope Waddell Old Students’ Association (HWOSA), Barr. Efio-ita Ephraim, described the recognition as a call to service. He urged the honorees to maximise their wealth of experience for the betterment of society.
“We are grateful to NSCC for selecting Hope Waddell alumni as the pilot group for this initiative. This acknowledgment is a testament to our capability to deliver, and it’s indeed a call to service,” Ephraim remarked.
The National Coordinator of NSCC, Engr. Ekpe Essien Ita, who is also HOWAD alumnus, encouraged the members to continue striving for excellence while upholding the institution’s esteemed legacy.
Among the notable honourees were Barr. Efio-ita Ephraim, Mr. Okon Onoyom-Ita, Engr. Slim Otu Antia, Pastor Obong Bassey Obong, Prof. Chinemelu Okoye, Engr. Andy Onyung, Prof. Ekpenyong Itam, Archbishop Idem Ikon, Dr. Donald Ikpe, and Engr. Amba Nsunwara, among others.
