OLUWADAMILOLA AKINDURO
The Ondo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, under the leadership of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has condemned the rising cases of baby abandonment, urging women and young girls to embrace family planning to prevent unwanted pregnancies and protect vulnerable children.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Seun Bosede Osamaye, stated this following the rescue of a baby girl allegedly abandoned in a forest in Oboto community, Ondo East Local Government Area, by hunters and members of a rescue team around one o’clock in the morning.
According to the Commissioner, the local hunter took the child to the government health facility where she received a medical attention and the Director Child Mr Tofas Mefun was contacted to officially report the case to him.
Dr. Seun Osamaye, called on parents and guardians to embrace responsible parenting and family planning in order to prevent cases of child abandonment in society.
She described the abandonment of babies as a disturbing act that exposes innocent children to danger, trauma, and even death.
Dr. Osamaye stressed that every child deserves love, protection, and proper care, urging residents to always seek support from appropriate government agencies and social welfare offices rather than abandoning children due to economic hardship or social pressure.
According to her, family planning remains an important tool in helping families properly cater for their children and reduce cases of unwanted pregnancies and child neglect.
She encouraged couples and young people to take advantage of available family planning services and counseling programmes to build stable and responsible homes.
The Commissioner further assured that the Ondo State Government under the leadership of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa remained committed to protecting vulnerable children and ensuring that abandoned or rescued babies are given proper care and support through relevant social welfare institutions.
Dr Osamaye disclosed that The Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency Dr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa and his wife, her Excellency Mrs Esther Aiyedatiwa, had assured that the rescued child would be properly cared for and provided with the necessary support for the baby’s wellbeing.
Describing the act as inhumane and wicked, Osamaye warned that the state government would not tolerate actions capable of endangering the lives of innocent children.
“We keep warning our girls and women to put an end to the menace of unwanted pregnancies. Once you know you are sexually active and you are not ready to properly care for a child, go for family planning. It is free in our hospitals,” she said.
“If any mother is found abandoning a baby in the forest, the government will not take it lightly. Giving birth to a child after nine months and abandoning the baby in the bush is the highest level of wickedness,” she added.
The commissioner appealed to women facing difficulties in caring for children to seek assistance from government-approved homes and non-governmental organisations rather than exposing children to danger.
According to her, the state government has facilities and partnerships with organisations willing to care for vulnerable children.
“If you know you cannot take care of a child, instead of abandoning the baby in the forest, bring the child to us. We have facilities and NGOs that can properly take care of such children,” she said.
Osamaye commended the Oboto hunters and rescue officials of the Primary Health Centre who saved the baby, noting that the child was discovered at midnight after insects had already started biting her.
“You can imagine what would have happened to the baby if she had not been rescued. What if wild animals had attacked her in the forest?” she queried.
She disclosed that the ministry had immediately commenced steps to provide medical attention and proper care for the rescued child through its child welfare services.
“We have handled similar cases in the past and successfully taken care of such children. However, this practice of abandoning babies must stop because it endangers their lives,” she stated.
She also praised the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Kayode Kolawole and Director, Child Department, Mr Tofas Mefun for their swift response and commitments to child protection in the state.
