The abandoned baby found in Otokiti dustbin is safe in ministry's custody'–Kogi Commissioner

THE Kogi State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Bolanle Amupitan, has assured that the abandoned baby found in a dustbin at Otokiti village few weeks ago is safe and sound in the ministry’s orphanage.
A little woman, Mary James, had on Oct. 8, 2019, allegedly abandoned her one-day old baby at a refuse dump at Otokiti village in Lokoja.
Residents of the community who found the baby alerted Kogi Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development about the incidence, and the baby was rescued and taken to the State Specialist Hospital (KSSH) for medical attention by the ministry.
The residents thereafter, teamed up with government officials to trace Mary, and she was eventually handed over to the police for investigation.
But since then, there had been series of news making the round that the abandoned baby had allegedly disappeared from the hospital. It was further alleged that the baby was being sexually molested.
There was also a recent allegation that one Blessing James, 25, older sister of the abandoned baby and daughter of Mary, was sexually harassed by the Director of Child Welfare at the ministry, Mr. Omoyele Fatoye.
However, speaking to our reporter on Monday in Lokoja on the development, the Commissioner, refuted the allegation of disappearance and molestation of the baby, saying the abandoned baby was safe and sound under the ministry’s custody.
According to Amupitan, the baby is safe, hale and healthy in our opharnage and was neither sexually molested nor disappeared.
“It is our responsibility to take care of such abandoned baby, and to protect any child from age 0 to 18 years. So, we have the mandate as ministry to pick abandoned babies, take care of them and if need be, give them out for adoption.
She noted that when the baby was found at the refuse dump few weeks ago, maggots were being removed from the baby’s ears and umbilical cord, and she was immediately carried to the State Specialist Hospital (KSSH) for medical attention.
She added that the baby was given optimum medical attention while in the hospital and few days later, the baby was discharged and handed over to the ministry, assuring that the baby was safe in the orphanage under their care”.
Meanwhile, Dr Ahmed Attah, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Kogi State Specialist Hospital (KSSH), had also refuted the allegation of the baby’s disappearance from the hospital, saying it was absolutely false.
Speaking further on the incidence, the commissioner said that there had been some arguments and misunderstanding between the the Police Officer (DPO) in charge of ‘D’ Division, Lokoja, Mr. Ishaya Pam, and the director, on whether or not to hand over the baby back to the acclaimed mother, Mary James.
She stressed that the ministry was more concerned about the safety of the abandoned baby and not the purported mother or anyone else.
”We are not even sure if the woman is truly the biological mother of the abandoned baby; if not, how on earth would a woman with blood flowing in her vein abandoned her own baby in the dustbin?
”In addition, so many people also delivered babies during that partiular time, and anybody could come up tomorrow to claim the baby.
”So, we told the DPO to exercise patience on the issue of returning the abandoned baby to the purported mother without following the normal process.
”We don’t have issues with anybody except the heartless purported mother, who abandoned an innocent baby in the dustbin inside cold weather and endangering her life..
”We as ministry cannot handover the baby back to the woman just like that because she might go and do something worst than what to the baby,” she said.
The commissioner added that it must be medically confirmed that the purported mother was the true owner of the baby, and also confirm if she was mentally and emotionally fit to take care of the baby.
She restated the ministry’s determination to prosecute the woman for dumping the baby in the refuse dump.
”We have the Child Rights law that is domesticated in Kogi, and the law must take its due course on the woman.
.
”So, we cannot just handover the baby back to the purported mother as being requested by the police in which the State Commissioner of Police is also aware of it.
”I told the commissioner of police that if at all, the baby would be returned back to the purported mother, we must go through the legal processe of doing that.
”Looking from the welfare angle in terms of social problems, if at all, the baby would be given back to the mother, then the ministry and the police would have to agree to hand over the baby to the Social Welfare Department of the Plateau State Government, since the woman is an indigene of Plateau State.
”Because I am not convinced that she is the mother of the baby; how can we give a baby to someone who threw a baby in the dustbin?
”The abandoned baby is safe and sound in our opharnage,” Amupitan restated.
On the allegation of sexual harassment against the director, Amupitan warned that the case should neither be linked to the ministry of women affairs and social development nor the issue abandoned baby, saying they were entirely two different things.
”The director’s incidence allegedly happened neither in the ministry nor during the working hour; but it happened outside the ministry and outside the working hour.
”Though, the ministry condemned the alleged act leveled against the director because it is a dirty thing, but we must exercise caution and allow the police to thoroughly investigate the matter to ensure fairness and justice.
”They should not link the director’s issue with the ministry; it is an allegation against the director and not the ministry.
”I also believed that the director should be given a fair hearing to proof his innocence, then, if the director is found guilty he should be prosecuted.
”The issue has nothing to do with the ministry of women affairs; it is a personal matter. We have nothing to do with it, It should no be linked to us,” Amupitan reiterated.
The commissioner noted that she had also directed that an investigative committee should be set up to investigate the matter, to be headed by ministry’s Permanent Secretary who is a lawyer and an experienced administrator.
Amupitan added that the ministry has also directed that the accused director, Fatoye, to step aside from his position as the Director Child Welfare of the ministry till further notice, to pave way for uninterrupted investigation by the panel.
While appreciating the police for their unflinching support and years of harmonious partnership with the ministry, she enjoined them to thoroughly investigate the alleged sexual harassment against the director to ensure fairness and justice for the general public to see.
She also urged the police for more cooperation and collaboration with the ministry to finding a lasting solution to the issues regarding the abandoned baby.
The commissioner also berated the statement credited to the Association of Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Nigeria Kogi chapter, calling for her suspension, saying the statement was premised on sentiments with an intention to tarnish her image and that of the ministry without conducting proper investigation into the matter.
”Professionally, we believe that the association should have come to the ministry to do their proper investigation before going to the air and social media to call for suspension of anybody.
”If the association had investigated the issue very well, I believed they would have even be on the side of the ministry,” she said.