Child-rights advocate wants orphanages registered

 

A child-rights advocate and consultant to the Ministry of Women Affairs on Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Dame Uju Ozoka, has made case for registration of orphanages and motherless babies homes in the country.

Uzoka made the case while presenting the communiqué at the end of a one-day interactive seminar organised by African Royal Shelter, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), on the challenges of orphanages in Nigeria, weekend in Abuja.

She said, “That all orphanages, motherless babies’ homes in Nigeria should be registered, inmates properly registered and identified.
This she said, would enable government and donor agencies handle the issues of obtaining proper donations, remunerations, and country vote from governments and donor agencies to enhance their work.

The seminar, she said also resolved that: “All state government should be advised to male gross payment of 5% of Local Government revenue (IDR) to orphanages and motherless babies’ homes in their Local Government as required by law.

“That government should take very seriously the issue of strengthening early warning system to minimise the impact of all disasters that create internally displaced children.

“That there should be a closed coordination between the government, private sector, civil societies, NGOs on human trafficking in order to attend to these orphanages when there are emergencies.

“That strategic advocacy and awareness of the need to assist these orphanages should be very intensive and all participants should join hands with National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person and other related offences (NAPTIP) to fight against modern trafficking.”

Ozoka, who is also a consultant to African Royal Shelter, further disclosed that participants at the seminar also condemned the endless killing and reckless abandoning of children in the country.

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