The Federal Capital Territory Administration 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, FCTA, Mrs Safiya Umar said this when she was handed 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 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 by 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.