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Fake Orphanages: FCTA Evacuates 19 Children From Famouskids Home

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The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has begun the clampdown on illegal orphanages being operated in the nation’s capital territory to ensure sanity.

The Acting Secretary, Social Development Secretariat (SDS), Hajia Safiya Umar, on Friday evacuated 19 children from Famouskids Orphanage Home, in Tungan Maje area of Zuba, Gwagwalada Area Council, Abuja over alleged negligence and other nefarious acts.

Accompanied by the joint team of security personnel they stormed and sealed off the premises of the orphanage, which also runs a school in the area

It was gathered that the Famouskids Orphanage Home had 25 children as inmates, but only 19 of them who are between ages 4 and 17 years were met as at the time of the evaluation exercise.

According to her, the exercise would rid the nation’s capital, especially the outskirts, of human trafficking and other practices that are against child right act.

“There is a lot in the Federal Capital Territory that we have to do; the abuse is becoming too much. How can somebody set up an orphanage and be selling children? The Social Development Secretariat Authority wants to know the proprietor and the person is nowhere to be found

“Our investigations show that more needs to be done in order to stop the proliferation of illegal orphanages, it appears is a very big business going on in the city which the government least expected.

“The government thought they were well-spirited people that are opening orphanages to help children without parents, as a way of helping the government in managing some social vices. Unfortunately, people have used it as a business, using the children as personal business,” she said.

Mrs Umar explained that the FCT Administration will not tolerate the activities of individuals who indulge in bringing children from other states into the federal capital and using them to make money.

She said: “It has become a NAPTIP case because all the children are either from Akwa Ibom or Cross River states; this is outside their jurisdiction because there is jurisdiction of operation of orphanages.

“All children that will be kept in orphanages in Abuja must come from Abuja, anything outside Abuja is trafficking and that won’t be tolerated by FCTA.”

According to her, preliminary reports revealed that most of the children are brought to Abuja from Cross Rivers and Akwa Ibom states, and were left since February 2019 in the care of a 23-year-old, who claimed to be an undergraduate of the University of Abuja.

She added: “The police wrote to SDS to come and evacuate the children, meaning there are a lot of things happening in orphanages. From our investigations here, we have come to realize that there are other linkages with some other orphanages in Abuja.

“Orphanages are not meant to sell children. We gathered reliably from the police that the child might have been sold and she is in Lagos and we are now trying to track her,” she explained.

“It is bothering us  that the orphanages in FCT are abusing the law, they are only supposed to keep the children only for three months and then give them out either for adoption or fostering.”

On his part, one Edet Raphael, who claimed to be working with the orphanage as a volunteer, denied knowledge of the missing child from the Home.

He said: “I don’t know anything about the missing child, the first time I heard I was arrested and taken to the police station and they questioned me about the child.

“I told them (the police) I don’t know anything about the missing child. I remember the first girl but I have never met the missing girl.”

 

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FG To Seize Mortgaged Property of Defualting Retiring Public Servants

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Joel Ajayi 


Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board will henceforth seize mortgaged properties of retiring federal public servants who failed to fully repay the housing loans advanced to them by the board.


In a statement issued by the Staff  Housing Loans Board Head, Information & PRU Obiechina Ngozi on Wednesday in Abuja reveals that this is in accordance with the Public Service Rules 021002 (p) as issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.


The OHCSF sent out the memo as a reminder for the federal public servants who are about to retire to adhere strictly to the provisions of the Public Service Rules.


The memo reads; “I am directed to bring to your attention the provision of Public Service Rule (PSR) 021002 (p), which mandates all public servants to obtain a Certificate of Non-indebtedness to the Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board (FGSHLB) and any MDA Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society, as issued by the OHCSF, as a prerequisite for retirement.”

“Further to the above, it should be noted that in the event of exiting the service prior to full repayment of the housing loan advanced by the FGSHLB, the Board shall exercise its legal right to seize the mortgaged property.” 


Speaking on the above, Salamatu Ladi Ahmed, Executive Secretary, FGSHLB, reiterated that the warning is also for retired officers who defaulted.
She stated that the management of the Board, on its part, is compiling the list of all retired federal public servants who are still owing the housing loans they obtained while in service, to be sent to relevant regulatory agencies to recover the debts from them.


FGSHLB is committed to ensuring that all public servants comply with this rule and obtain the necessary Certificate of Non-indebtedness before retirement, and urge all those affected to take immediate action and settle any outstanding debts or liabilities with the Board.

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