Governments at all levels have been urged to make special provisions for reputation orphanages nationwide in their annual budgets.
A women’s rights advocate, Mrs Funmi Falana (SAN), who gave the advice, also called on the federal government to develop further policies and programs to ease Nigerians’ pain from the present economic hardship.
Mrs Falana, the Director of Women Empowerment and Legal Aid (WELA), spoke in Iyin Ekiti, Ekiti State, after holding her annual Christmas party with the children of Erelu Angela Adebayo Children’s Home.
The wife of human rights activist Femi Falana (SAN) said she used the period and the occasion, which she always dedicates to showing love and giving hope to the children that the future belongs to them, which should be the practice of all well-to-do Nigerians.
Mrs Falana, who presented cash gifts, food items, soft drinks, and beverages to children, said such a special budgetary allocation would enhance the effective running and management of such homes.
She said, “It will also add to what kind-hearted people and philanthropists do for them. You will agree with me that places like this have such an allocation. A huge amount of money is being allocated to members of the national assembly who are less than 500 in the annual budget. The government can allocate adequate funds to the homes for the good and benefit of the less processed there.
“So, this provision should be made for orphanages like this in the annual budget. They mustn’t rely solely on the little they get from Nigerians. Such people cannot take over the responsibility and duties of the government.
“Every money at the government’s disposal is kept in trust for all Nigerians, the less privileged and the vulnerable persons like these.
So, it should be used to take care of them and be part of the beneficiaries of the money”.
On the country’s economic situation, Mrs Falana said, “The harsh economic situation in the country is biting hard on the people, and our governments must do something urgently to address this and ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians so that they will not be seen as failures.
The Director of the Child Development Department, Ekiti State Ministry of Ministry of Women and Social Development, Mrs Bolanle Asubiojo and the orphanage Matron, Mrs Modupe Ajayi, in their remarks, appreciated Mrs Falana for her over ten years of support for the children and the orphanage.
