Enugu recruits 10 social workers to checkmate illegal adoption

The Enugu State Government has recruited and trained 10 social workers to checkmate the activities of illegal adoption in the state.
The Chairman, Enugu State Adoption Committee, His Grace, Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, made this known in Enugu on Monday at a two-day sensitisation workshop.
Chukwuma said that the workshop was organised by Enugu Ministry of Gender and Social Development in collaboration with adoption committee and network for the prevention and protection against child abuse and neglect.
The bishop commended Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State for making it possible for the state Assembly to pass the Child’s Right Act into Law.
He said that the adoption committee had been on their toes to ensure that illegal adoption was done away with in Enugu State.
He stressed that his committee would never give chance for politicians to harvest babies in the name of adoption and use them for rituals.
While declaring the workshop open, the Enugu State Governor who was represented by his deputy, Cecilia Ezilo, stressed the need to care for children who were not fortunate to train under the care of their parent.
Ezilo said that most countries, including Nigeria had adopted the Child’s Right Process to ensure that adoption and fostering  children were well taken care of.
She said that the workshop would go a long way in enlightening the public on the importance of adopting legally.
The Commissioner for Gender Affairs and Social Welfare, Peace Nnaji, said that the workshop was apt, especially as the Child’s Right Law had been passed.
Nnaji said that the workshop provided opportunity for the general public to know what adoption it was all about, adding that the adoption needed multi sectional approach to get it right.
The commissioner commended the state governor for appointing men and women of integrity in the adoption committee, saying “it is a critical sector’’.
The chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Ngozi Emehelu, who was represented by the Deputy Chief Register Enugu State High Court, Nonye Agbo, said that a justice administration was incomplete without the protection of the rights of children.
Agbo said that the state judiciary designated some high courts and magistrate courts as family courts in line with Section 152 of the Child’s Right law of Enugu State.
She said that under the Child’s Right law, the courts had the responsibility of overseeing, fostering and adoption processes in the state.
She said that fostering and adoption of child were similar but the only difference was that adoption needed more detailed and documents than fostering.
Agbo said that courts in Enugu State had jurisdiction to hear and determined all matters concerning adoption and fostering.
She said that sections 108 and 109 of the law made it mandatory that both man and woman interested in adoption or fostering a child must give their concept.