By Ayoni M. Agbabiaka
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has set up a 24-man white paper committee on the elimination of the practice of infanticide in some parts of Abuja.
Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, who inaugurated the committee on Tuesday, said the report of infanticide in some parts of Abuja came as a shock to the administration last year and that since then the administration had swung into action by setting up a committee to investigate the allegation.
She said the committee was to identify the communities involved, establish the roots of such practices and suggest the way to put an end to it.
She said: “Children are indeed a heritage from God no matter how they come- whether as singles, twins, triplets, albino, black or white. We must, therefore, send a clear signal that the life of the child does not come from the benevolence of their parents or communities, but is God-given. Above all, the right to life is a fundamental human right and consequently, it is the duty of every responsible government to protect this right.”
The committee has three months within which to deliver its report, just as the minister urged it to bring their wealth of experience and track records to bear on the performance “f this very important task.”
The term of references of the committee include: to critically examine the observations and recommendation of the committee as they affect each of the identified communities and evolves a viable action plan to address issues raised.
It is also to examine the basic social and structural gaps in affected communities and come up with prototype structures and costing consideration and to engender advocacy and sensitisation campaigns against harmful practices via print and electronic media.
The committee is to also evolve viable strategies to economically empower the women and youths in the area through existing platforms and programme such as MDGs, SURE-P and to evolve a sustainable development blueprint for rural communities in the FCT.
