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Senior citizens in the Northern Region have expressed serious concerns about the lack of proper care and maintenance policy for retired public and civil servants. They observed that the lack of facilities such as health care, housing and recreational schemes, specifically for the aged, often make them frustrated and depressed. Some of the senior citizens who took turns to address a ceremony to mark the Senior Citizens� Day in Tamale on Monday also urged government to tackle social challenges in the areas of sanitation, access to potable water, regular power supply,and good roads. A retired educationist and former District Director of Education, Mrs Roseline Shiata Bawa, noted that exercising regularly is important to keep the mind and body healthy, and asked government to create recreational centres where retired civil servants could engage in regular exercise and entertain themselves. Mrs Bawa also said affordable housing schemes should be made available for retired senior citizens to enable them to settle properly after long years of dedicated service to the nation. She also called on philanthropists and NGOs in the region to make interventions aimed at protecting and maintaining retired and hardworking servants of the country. The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Bede A. Ziedeng, expressed gratitude to the senior citizens for their dedicated service that has helped the country develop to this far and described the Senior Citizens� Day celebration as a deserving honour. He said a nation that does not honour its heroes is not worth dying for, and was happy that a special day had been set aside to recognise the invaluable service they rendered to the nation. The regional minister urged the senior citizens to avail their rich knowledge and experience acquired over the years to the current crop of public and civil servants in the region and beyond. According to him, this would help in the effective implementation of policies and programmes that would inure to the benefit of the country. He also assured the senior citizens of government�s commitment to better their conditions through appropriate policies. Mr Ziedeng noted that his outfit would create the necessary conditions that would engage the gallant and hardworking retired servants to tap their expertise in the management of affairs in the region. The regional minister also urged them to help his administration address the many pockets of conflicts and violence that have impacted negatively on the developmental agenda of the region. In all, about 113 senior citizens, including former regional ministers, were awarded with certificates for their meritorious service to the region and the nation. They were also treated to high-life and traditional band music with lots to eat and drink.