Resolving the Aba ‘baby factory’ controversy

The police authorities in Aba, Abia State, recently announced that they had rescued 32 expectant teenage mothers during a raid on what they called an illegal ‘baby factory’ in the town. A medical practitioner, Dr. Hyacinth Orikara, proprietor of The Cross Foundation, which runs the maternity clinic, was apprehended in connection with the incident. The police accused him of exploiting the helpless teenagers by caring for them during their pregnancy but dispossessing them of their babies after delivery.

According to the Abia State Police Commissioner, Bala Hassan, the babies are allegedly sold to people who may use them for rituals or other purposes. Their mothers are allegedly paid off by the clinic – N25,000 for a female baby and N30,000 for a male. The police commissioner said Orikara and his alleged collaborators would be prosecuted after the conclusion of police investigations. Dr. Orikara denies the allegation and insists that he is running a charity for teenagers with unwanted pregnancies, and not an illegal baby factory. He claims that his Foundation operates in consultation with the state’s Social Welfare Department, and that the department has a record of every baby put up for adoption. He also claims that the parents and guardians of the inmates of his charity home are aware of their whereabouts.

This is a matter on which the Abia State authorities ought to have cleared the air without delay. Is Dr. Orikara’s The Cross Foundation operating a registered charity home for caring for helpless teenagers with unwanted pregnancies, or is it, as alleged by the police, a racket for child trafficking and child abuse? The state authorities should assist the police in obtaining a factual answer to this question. The allegation that babies are being sold illegally in the bIack market raises questions about the quality of supervision provided by welfare departments in charity homes, especially those run by private individuals and organisations.

There is need to ensure that all applicable rules and regulations are strictly complied with in such institutions. Procedures for admitting inmates into charity homes for pregnant teenagers should be stringently regulated. As much as possible, their parents or guardians, as appropriate, should be informed of their children’s or wards’ presence in such institutions. Full records should be kept of the identities and health status of the inmates, as well as details of all deliveries. Close supervision of the charity homes’ operations is also crucial. Any practice short of this standard will be subject to obvious abuse.

It is necessary to ascertain, in the alleged Aba ‘baby factory’ case, whether the teenage mothers are discharged with their babies, after delivery, or if they leave the babies behind, and if so, what becomes the fate of such babies. Are the mothers paid any cash sums (up to N30,000) as alleged, and if so, why? Are the parents or guardians of the teenage single mothers informed that their grandchildren are being withheld in the charity homes?Where such babies are put up for adoption, is the consent of the mothers or their families sought? Are the appropriate state institutions involved in the adoption process? Are formal records kept of the adoption, and are the adopted babies subsequently monitored by the authorities concerned toensure their safety and welfare?

In a society where belief in fetish is still rampant and ritual practices are rife, it would be unpardonable recklessness for any government to permit ‘abandoned’ babies to be transferred into the custody of strange persons under black market conditions – i.e. without any record or in total disregard of the country’s adoption laws. If such babies escape the sinister designs of ritual practitioners, they may be exposed to other forms of heinous child abuse. The public therefore awaits the final outcome of police investigations into the Aba ‘baby factory’ controversy. The police should carry along the Abia Social Welfare Department and other appropriate authorities to determine if indeed any applicable laws have been breached. Whatever the outcome of this inquiry, one fact thrown up by the controversy is the need for more public enlightenment on the issues involved.

Apart from effective counselling of teenage expectant mothers on safe ways of handling unwanted pregnancies (including preventive measures), information on approved welfare and charity homes, and on the rules and regulations guiding the operations of such institutions should be made readily available to the general public. Above all, the provisions of the child adoption laws as well as the child abuse and child trafficking laws should be more thoroughly disseminated.


http://nationalmirroronline.net/editorial/14020.html

hmmn!! Bad stories always come from Aba

such an international embarrassment !!! It was on the international media!!!! To bad. We always break the barrier in criminality !!!! courtesy , !!!