By Emmanuel Udom Lagos
Nigeria, the self-acclaimed giant of Africa has an estimated population of 170 million people. But, the economy of our country is bleeding.
Mrs. George
Some 40 million jobless persons are however looking up to government to provide them with jobs.
The storyline across Nigeria is that of abject poverty, hunger, anger, insecurity, tension and failed promises by past and present governments.
From Abuja to Lagos, Sokoto to Akwa Ibom, Ogun to Kwara, Anambra to Delta, Edo to Kano, Oyo to Rivers, Cross River to Osun, Enugu to Imo, Jagawa to Katsina, Bornu to Yobe, etc, it is the same story.
But, independent checks by Daily Independent further reveal that even with the giant of Africa toga, these jobless persons are living in fantasy Island, expecting miracles from government. They are still looking up to government to provide jobs for them.
However, the stark realities show that no government, either in developed countries like America and the United Kingdom or in developing countries like Nigeria and Ghana could provide jobs for its teeming jobless citizens.
Therefore, “it is to your tent on Israel”, as jobless persons, battered by a bleeding economy; dabble into all sorts of activities, some legal, some illegal, most criminal, in the name of survival.
Police authorities say there is a direct link between joblessness, poverty, insecurity, tension, hunger, anger organized crimes, prostitution, quackery, 419, kidnapping and yahoo-yahoo deals, among others.
There are quacks everywhere. They exist in government, banking sector, oil and gas, educational institutions, health sector, real estate, media, etc.
But, in fairness, government in developing and developed countries has been doing a lot to flush them out of the system.
Some sane sectors in Nigeria are also helping government at the local, state and federal levels to fight quackery to a standstill.
Quacks running orphanage homes are involved in baby selling scandals, where they buy babies and in turn sell these babies out to people who need them for keep or for ritual purposes.
They also brainwash gullible ladies to get pregnant and handover the babies to them after delivery in exchange for monetary inducement. The police have records of these set of orphanage operators.
But, the Association of Orphanages and Homes Operators of Nigeria (ASOHON) is one of the many associations that is desperately trying to crush the vexed and embarrassing issues of quackery within its system.
Rev (Mrs) Dele George, National President of ASOHON, in an exclusive chat with our correspondent said that in the last five years, “a lot has been happening and soon fake orphanage homes will be flushed out in Nigeria”.
According to her, the first preoccupation of the association in tackling the existence of fake orphanage homes in the country was to get the Lagos state chapter fully organized, effective and functional.
The moves yielded results as George, first daughter of retired Major-General Samuel Ogbomudia, military governor of the then said that with the success recorded in Lagos, Mrs. Maria Osawemen, founder of Vigilant Heart society orphanage in Ajah, now coordinates the activities of members in the state.
Osawemen is supported by Mr Victor Uzoma of Friends of God orphanage and Mrs Bola Martins of Bola Mofo Zion Shelter.
The ASOHON president however admitted that the association has no powers to close down fake orphanage homes across the length and breadth of Nigeria.
“But, we work together with state ministries nationwide to investigate the authenticity or otherwise of orphanage homes operating in the country”, she said.
Based on our findings after the investigations have been completed, action could be taken on whether to close down any orphanage home or not.
Her words: But, the exercise has been fruitful so far as children rescued from these fake homes are being catered for by members of our association.
George, founder of Little Saints Orphanage, located at Palm Grove Estate in Lagos, speaking on supports and encouragement by government said that in terms of approving families for adoption, fostering and regulating the activities of orphanages, government has have been very zealous and proactive.
But, in the area of financial, material supports and other supports, government at the local, state and federal levels, nationwide have been slacking and not forthcoming.
The post Addressing The Menace Of Fake Orphanage Homes appeared first on Daily Independent, Nigerian Newspaper.