Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan
The State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Faosat Sanni on Tuesday September 24, 2019 described the act of abandoning newborn babies by their mothers as ungodly and criminal because God created everybody for a particular purpose that must be fulfilled.
Faosat, who said this when she visited some Juvenile Correctional Homes, Child Care Units and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Persons in Ibadan pointed out that Nigeria frowned at the act of abandoning newborn children and adopted the Child Rights Act for domestication in 2003 which made it forbidden to separate a child from the parents, except in the interest of the child.
Sanni said no condition would warrant any mother to abandon her own child because all children were given by God as blessing to their parents and mankind adding that the state government would not hesitate to make any mother caught abandoning her own baby face the full wrath of law.
According to her, “”No child will come to this world out of his or her own volition. We brought them here and we must be ready to take care of them before we conceive them. It is ungodly and criminal therefore for any mother to give birth and abandon the baby. The state government will not allow the trend to continue. Everybody will have to be responsible for his or her actions”
The Commissioner reinstated government’s assurance of its commitment to the welfare of the people particularly children and people living with disabilities.
Applauding donors, corporate bodies, non-governmental organizations and individuals for giving supports to the institutions that catered for the less privileged, she stated, “Government will care for them and continue to support them. As humans, we are all equal, those of us without one disability or the other should see this as a privilege and treat those with disabilities with utmost respect and decorum. Some of the children need immediate health care. We will work with the health sector to ensure that they are being taken care of by sending them for proper treatment in our various hospitals. At the Juvenile Correctional Institution, 35 of them are already in public and private schools been sponsored by individuals and various non-governmental organizations, and as long as many of them are stable health wise, I assure you that they would be sent to schools”.
The Rehabilitation Center for the Disabled Persons at Temidire, Moniya, Akinyele local government in Ibadan has 65 people living with disabilities and currently undergoing various training such as Information and Communication Technology, ICT, bead making, hairdressing, tailoring, shoe making, adult education class and animal husbandry.