Stop tagging old people witches, Oliyide warns, eyes Yewa South LG seat

By Adejoke Adeleye/ Ogun

An aspirant for local government chairmanship in Ogun, Ayodeji Olamilekan Oliyide has cautioned Nigerians, most especially the youths, against labelling aged people, particularly women witches.

Oliyide who is aspiring to contest for the position of chairmanship of Yewa South Local Government under the umbrella of All Progressive Congress (APC) in the coming Ogun local government election gave the advice while speaking with newsmen in Abeokuta, the state capital.

He said he had noticed that because aged women usually stay at home, young people in communities have cultivated the wrong habit of tagging them as witches and wizards.

He added that because of this, he would give priority to issues related to the welfare of the old people if he was elected as chairman.

The UK-based business mogul noted that most times politicians put priority on the youths, women and children forgetting the aged ones.

He said part of his plans for the aged people if elected will be to create a game centre where they can go in the morning, eat healthy diets, play games, interact with one another and return home to relax for the next day.

Oliyide also revealed that each time he visits the Yewa South, he sees new things which can be done in the local government, hence the reason for his aspiration.

He promised to give priority to the education and training of youth for various vocations if emerged as chairman of the local government.

“When I looked at my community I believe I have a lot I can input and I can do to lift the livelihood of people in my community.

“I want to step into the shoes of my late father who was the former secretary of the local government during Abacha time, Chief Solomon Abiodun Oliyide. I have been in and out of the community and I discovered that there is no unique development in the area.

“I want to have a foundation where aged ones will be picked up to a game center where they will be play games and interact with themselves. Most times people look at aged ones and refer to them as witches and wizards. I want to clear the impression of seeing aged ones as witches most especially women.”

“It saddened my heart when I read or hear news about an aged person being stoned or tagged as witch because they are old and they could not work or move as we do”.

“One thing most people failed to understand is that we are all going to get old and be in their shoes one day that we will not be able to run and move as we do now or go to work as we do now so why the name tag because they are old,” Oliyide said.