Participants at a leadership seminar on ageing have called for the creation of a separate ministry to be responsible for the aged, in view of the numerous socio-economic and cultural problems associated with older people in society. They contended that the institution of separate ministries for the Youth, Women's and Children was enough justification for the government to consider their call for a sector to take charge of the affairs of the aged. The participants stated this in a communiqué issued at the end of a three-day seminar held at Peki in the South Dayi District of the Volta Region. The seminar, organised by the Shepherd Centre for Ageing Ghana, attracted more than 80 participants, mostly retirees from public and private organisations, as well as the informal sector. The participants observed with concern that the state and other key stakeholders were not doing enough to alleviate the myriad of socio-economic problems affecting the aged in the area of health, domestic care and housing. They also noted that in view of their vulnerability and high level of impoverishment, the elderly needed to enjoy 100 per cent relief in payment of taxes, levies and dues. The Executive Director of the Shepherd's Centre of Ageing, Ghana, Rev Dr Seth Agidi, reiterated his call on the government to increase the retiring age from 60 to 65 years for public and civil servants in view of the experience and professional expertise needed by the state in national development. He urged religious bodies to institute human centred and sensitisation programmes for their adult and older members through capacity building to promote their welfare. Dr Agidi also called on the country's policy makers and city planners as well as architects to put into consideration the physical capability of the aged when designing and constructing building and road facilities. A resource person, Madam Alice Ayebi, expressed concern about the discrimination and stigmatisation associated with the aged in society, noting that the loss of memory of an older person did not imply that such a person had declined in intelligence. Mrs. Ayebi, who is also the Manager of the E.P. Church Activity Centre, advised the participants and the elderly in society to join the Shepherd's Centre for Ageing in order to overcome the challenges of emotional and psychological trauma. She urged people in active employment to endeavour to prepare sufficiently towards establishing themselves after pension to avoid the kind of neglect being suffered by persons who could not plan effectively for their retirement. Source: Daily Graphic