Kogi Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has vowed to prosecute Mary James, the mother of a baby abandoned in Lokoja, the state capital,
Kogi Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Bolanle Amupitan, who gave the hint, confirmed that the abandoned baby is safe and sound in the ministry’s orphanage.
Mary James, had on Oct. 8, 2019, allegedly abandoned her one-day- old baby at a refuse dump in Otokiti village, near Lokoja.
Residents of the community who found the baby alerted Kogi Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development about the incidence.
Consequently, the baby was rescued and taken to the State Specialist Hospital (KSSH) for medical attention.
The residents thereafter, teamed up with government officials to trace Mary, and she was eventually handed over to the police for investigation.
“It is our responsibility to take care of such abandoned baby, and to protect any child from age 0 to 18 years. So, we have the mandate as ministry to pick abandoned babies, take care of them and if need be, give them out for adoption.
She noted that when the baby was found at the refuse dump few weeks ago, maggots were removed the ears and umbilical cord, and she was immediately carried to the State Specialist Hospital (KSSH) for medical attention.
”We don’t have issues with anybody except the heartless purported mother, who abandoned an innocent baby in the dustbin inside cold weather and endangering her life..
”We, as ministry cannot handover the baby back to the woman just like that because she might go and do something worse than that to the baby,” she said.
The Commissioner added that it must be medically confirmed that the purported mother was the true owner of the baby, and also if she was mentally and emotionally fit to take care of the baby.
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The mother should be given treatment and find out why she abandoned the child. The threat of prosecution is quite unnecessary. The welfare of both mother and child should be paramount than prosecution. It can be seen that our society is harsh to women. There should be paradigm shift in our attitude in situation such as this so that women should be hiding when they find themselves in a similar circumstance.