The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Wednesday in Abuja decried the high rate at which new born babies are being abandoned across the nooks and crannies of the territory.
Acting Secretary of the FCT Social Development Secretariat (SDS), FCTA, Mrs Safiya Umar said this when she took delivery of a baby boy abandoned in Sauka, along Airport road, Abuja.
Umar said the situation was becoming worrisome and very disturbing to the FCTA.
She recalled that recently, two babies, a female and male were found and brought to the secretariat by good Samaritans on different times.
She said that the babies had since been named after the FCT Minister of State, Hajia Ramatu Aliyu and the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr Christian Ohaa for identification purposes
She admonished young ladies and women in the FCT to explore and cultivate the use of condom” if they can’t abstain from premarital sex which oftentimes lead to unwanted pregnancies and their subsequent abandonment to the government.
“Naturally, no responsible government will fold its hands and watch babies and innocent children being left to die by their supposed biological parents because they suddenly realised they no longer want the same child they have incubated for nine good months to live. ”
‘” So, we shall keep accepting the Children in our Homes and after the mandatory period of three months in our homes, we shall make them available for fostering and possible adoption for interested applicants and adopters.”
Umar disclosed that the FCTA would soon unveil a mechanism which would address and curtail to the barest minimum the incessant and alarming rate of child abandonment in the FCT.
” We shall apprehend these category of culprits, those that require rehabilitation will receive same while others will be compelled to assume some level of responsibility in the upkeep of the child with the government.
” Those that have the means to cater for the child but chose to abandon them will be taught how to be responsible.”
The Director of Gender in the Secretariat, Mrs Agnes Hart, explained that the baby was sent to the secretariat from the National Hospital Abuja, having been in their care since Sept. 14, when he was brought in.
She thanked management of the Hospital for responding swiftly to the medical needs and stabilising the babe for the past two weeks before he was taken to the FCT Gender Department of SDS.
” The baby was abandoned by the road side in sauka in a bag with the unclamped umbilical cord alongside the placenta intact by a good spirited Nigerian, accompanied by the Police to the National Hospital Abuja.”
Hart advised members of the public to approach the secretariat for further enquiries about the babies.
She noted that the FCTA had put in place relevant infrastructure, including welfare and upkeep of the infants in FCT Orphanages to cater adequately for their special and pecuniary needs.
