MINISTRY OF WOMEN AFFAIRS AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
ABAKALIKI, EBONYI STATE

ACHIEVEMENT OF THE MINISTRY

ACHIEVEMENT OF THE MINISTRY

CHILD DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

The department is divided into six units as follows: Child Right Unit, Anti Trafficking Unit, Research/ Statistic Unit, Girl Child Education Unit, Juvenile Remand Home Unit and Drop-in Centre unit. With the director at the Head.

During the year under review, the whole units performed various functions and achieved in accordance with the job specifications.

  1. CHILD RIGHT-UNIT During the year under review the unit attended a total of 74 juvenile cases in various court in the state to assist the juvenile in conflict with law and help the court to determine the position of each child according to he/her condition. Also during the period the unit assisted parents to train 10 boys at kadaria Borster training institution.
    Assist 13 lost but found children to re-unite them with their patents. Out of whom 2 were monitored. Settled 4 cases of parents/children matters and re-integrated them.
    Held 6 workshops for various local government areas for the up keep of orphan and vulnerable children in conjunction with the UNICEF.
    Keeps 3 children who are lost but yet to be united with their biological parents. Out of which 2 are deaf and dumb, and are presently in a special school for deaf and dumb.
    Attended 11 cases of adoption and fostering of abandoned children while 2 children were given temporal custody to a desired family.
  2. ANTI-CHILD TRAFFICKING UNIT During the years under review 5 cases were reported out of which 1 were referred to anti-Child trafficking Zonal Office Enugu for counselling, repatriation and rehabilitation while 4 were handled internally and handed over to their parents hence it was a related case.
    The scheduled officer attended series of workshops to update herself in handling matters related to anti-trafficking.
  3. RESEARCH/STATISTIC UNIT The unit performed very well in the area of documentation. The unit performed creditably in documentation of the achievement of the ministry when demanded by the federal ministry of women affairs Abuja and continued to play a vital role to update all the functions of the department.
  4. GIRL CHILD EDUCATION UNIT During the period under review, the unit visited schools to determine problems facing the girl child and assisted to solve the problems with parents. Received reports from parents of children who refused to go to school. Finally in line with the child right act 2003. The department proposed the introduction of school social work to study various problems facing school administration and general student and pupils problem.
  5. JUVENILE REMAND HOME the institution whose function is to carter for children in conflict with the law, whose cases are determined by court of law admitted 83 juvenile delinquent children during the year under review out of whom 68 had been discharged and presented to join their families while 15 children are still waiting for their repatriation at expiration of their dates.
  6. DROP IN CENTRE UNIT Drop in centre is an institution jointly established by both Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Ebonyi State counter part. The aim is to carter for the young ones who may with one reason or the other drop out of school.
    The institution has many facilities to train them and make them useful at the end of the training. Presently the state government had recruited personnel to serve there while the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Socio Development had brought down equipments for the centre to take off during the year under review.
  7. Youth resources centre the centre is established to assist youths to acquire skills in the course of computer operation. Tailoring and hairdressing. The centre is a UNICEF assisted programme meant to assist the unemployed youths of Ebonyi State to acquire skills. During the years under review the centre passed out a total of 35 youths who had been self employed.

GENERAL: Other activities were carried out in the department during the year under review. These are:

  1. CHILDREN PARLIAMENT A programme mapped out to hear the voice of the children. The children held 15 sittings session during the period under review where they discussed issues affecting their fellow children.
  2. NATIONAL EVENTS The Ministry contently held National celebrations example: Children Day Celebrations, Children holiday programme at Abuja, Representative of Children Parliament at the material level.
    In 2006 the Ministry organized seminars for the children. Also in 2007 and Ebonyi children were represented at the National Children's Day Celebrations. The Ministry organized essay competition for the children during the period under review.
  3. STAFF TRAINING During the year under review, staff of the Department attended many workshops to update their knowledge in their various areas of service.

SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT

FAMILY CASE WORK
No. of cases reported 32
No. of cases settled 27
No. of cases referred 1
No. of cases pending 4
LOVE DEAL RESULTING IN PREGNANCY
No. of cases reported 25
No. of cases settled 24
No. of cases referred to the police 0
No. of cases pending 1
REPATRIATION
No of repatriates from other states 80
No of repatriates united with their families 80
No of repatriates referred to other agencies 80
No of repatriates outstanding 0
REGISTRATION OF VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS/INSPECTION
No of applicants 70
No of organizations registered 63
No of applicants referred to other agencies 4
No of applicants pending 3
No of applicants pending 30
No of organization yet to be inspected 33
ARBITRATION AMONG REGISTERED ORGANISATIONS
No of cases reported 8
No of cases settled 5
No of cases referred 0
No of case pending 3

CARE FOR ELDERLY, DESTITUTE AND BEGGARS

The head of department (HOD) visited the elderly and destitute at St. Paul’s Old People’s Home. One (1) pauper and beggar was repatriated to Onicha Local Government Area. One (1) case of destitute and beggar was referred to the department from the government house, but it could not be handled because the destitute and beggar could not be traced.

BOUNTY TO TRIPLES
No of cases reported 2
No of case referred to the state government for assistance 1
No of case outstanding 1

REHABILITATION DEPARTMENT

  1. Establishment of the Rehabilitation Centre
  2. Reorganization of the Joint National Association of disabled Persons Ebonyi State Branch.
  3. Giving Financial Assistance to Disabled undergraduates.
  4. Giving Financial Assistance to sick disabled persons.
  5. Received a donation of Mobility Aids - Wheel chairs and Clutches from Cosmokoli
  6. Hosted the annual meeting of the Deaf/Dumb – South East Zone.

WOMEN AFFAIRS DEPARTMENTS

  1. Initiation and formation of viable women Co-operatives and women groups.
  2. Establishment and inauguration of a Gender Advocacy group in Ebonyi state made up of line NGO’s and line ministries.
  3. Sponsored two (2) bills in collaboration with NGOs on harmful traditional practices against women and on violence against women in Ebonyi State and the two (2) bills have been passed by the Ebonyi State House of Assembly.
  4. On two occasions organized and successfully carried a skill acquisition training workshop for Ebonyi women on domestic skills- soap making, ice cream, pomade, Tie and dye, paint-making, snail farming etc.
  5. Data collection of VVF in collaboration with federal ministry of women affairs. Attracted twenty (20) sewing machines and twenty (20) mattresses for the rehabilitation of the VVF repaired patients.
  6. Collaboration with the state action committees on Aids (SACA) on HIV/AIDs awareness creation to windows; Female students of Ebonyi state university and the ministry’s staff.
  7. Organised and successfully carried out workshop for female political aspirants.
  8. Attracted women fund for economic empowerment credit facility (WOFFE) up to the tune of twelve million naira (12M) for Ebonyi Women.
  9. Floated a training workshop on domestic food items production-bakery, buns, chin-chin, puff puff, doughnuts etc.
  10. Sponsored a bill to the Ebonyi State House of Assembly on Widowhood Mal-practices in Ebonyi state but yet to be passed into law.
  11. Annually observed special women day celebrations such as – the international women day celebration; International day of the family celebration and Ebonyi women day celebration.

ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT

  1. The ministry, through this department has resuscitated the welfare scheme, the junior and senior staff committees with its statutory powers relating to staff discipline, promotion/confirmation and appointments.
  2. The department made great efforts in promoting senior staff and junior staff of the Ministry as approved and contained in Ministry estimate.
  3. Vacancy, returns have been sent to the civil service commissions vis-a-vis for possible transfer of service by interested serving officers as requested.
  4. Comprehensive staff Nominal roll has been sent to civil service commission as requested.
  5. The department since the period under review has embarked on weekly management meetings where the Ministry hands important issues/matters that relate to the upliftment and progress of the Ministry.
  6. The department has also successfully conducted a one day workshop for the staff of the Ministry on HIV/Aids sponsored by State Action Committee on Aids.
  7. Through this department, 100 female students of the tertiary institutions in Ebonyi State benefited from the Ministry’s workshop on HIV/Aids Sensitization Sponsored by EBOSACA.
  8. As the year progresses, the department as dynamic as it is looks forward to much greater achievements, under favourable budgetary circumstance.