Enugu moves to curb baby factories

Gov. Ugwuanyi

The Enugu State Government has moved to check the proliferation of baby factories in the state by setting up a committee on child adoption. Over the years, several baby factories, where young mothers give birth and, most often, sell their babies, had been discovered in the state as well as in other parts of the South-East. The Committee on Child Adoption, which is to address all prevalent illegalities in child fostering and adoption, is headed by the Archbishop of the Enugu Anglican Province and Bishop of Enugu, Most Reverend Emmanuel Chukwuma. Inaugurating the committee at the Enugu Government House, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi warned that his administration would not fold its arms and watch child adoption laws abused in the state. Ugwuanyi expressed regrets that despite the existing laws and government’s efforts at curbing the phenomenon, cases of illegal child

adoption and fostering have continued to rise. He described the situation, where children were abandoned, or sold like commodities, as unacceptable. According to him, the establishment of illegal child adoption facilities was a major cause for concern. Ugwuanyi admitted that prevailing child adoption practices were not in line with constitutional provisions. “While we acknowledge the right and the necessity for couples to adopt motherless children and orphans, we believe that there is

the need for strict compliance with due process and the provisions of relevant laws to guarantee the security and wellbeing of the affected children.” He instructed the committee to work towards

ensuring that government sets up a proper structure to facilitate the implementation of the Child Rights Act and also improve the quality of Child Justice Administration in the state. The committee was also directed to ensure that the workers of the Ministry of Gender Affairs and Social Development, who are involved in child adoption, were given adequate training to enable them track cases of child abandonment, selling, trafficking, as well as sexual abuse.