The State legislator representing Ikwuano State Constituency at the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Engr. Isienyi Boniface at plenary yesterday, presented a motion for the State Government to regulate the operations of orphanage homes in Abia State to curb the rising cases of child abduction and trafficking in the State.
Hon. Boniface while leading a debate on the motion said that the orphanage homes are meant to provide care and shelter to vulnerable children who have been abandoned by their families or whose families are unable to care for them. That evidence about which has shown that some of the orphanage homes rather than provide care and shelter to vulnerable children in their facilities, indulged in child trafficking, abduction, exploitation and emotional or psychological violence against these children. That the rising cases of child abduction and trafficking in the State are fuelled by inability to effectively regulate the operations of orphanage homes which had resulted in the sprout of baby factories in the nook and crannies of the state in the guise of orphanage homes. That it is very worrisome that many orphanage homes in the State do not conduct forensic background checks on their staff or volunteers thereby exposing the children in their facilities often to people of questionable characters which may likely commit violent crime against them. He further said that there is need to effectively regulate the operations of all the orphanage homes in the State in order to have the accurate data of children and the adoptive parents of all the children in various orphanage facilities so as to ensure the safety of the children as well as trace their whereabouts when necessary.
Furthermore, He prayed that the House should urge the State Government to mandate the Ministry of women affairs to compile a comprehensive register of all the orphanage homes with accurate data of children in each facility and the data of the adoptive parents in all the facilities to enable the state trace the whereabouts of every child in all orphanage facilities when necessary. Secondly, that the House should urge the state government through the ministry of women affairs to establish and enforce stringent license or permit requirements for orphanage homes seeking to operate in the state and to monitor orphanage facilities regularly to forestall the sprout of baby factories. Also, that the House should urge the State Government to evolve measures that will be in tandem with global best practices which will enhance smooth operation of orphanage homes.
The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, thanked Hon. Isienyi for the presentation of the motion noted that he is concurred with him and also approved all his prayers.
