Cross River State Government Web Site

The Social Welfare Department carries out its activities in accordance with the National Social Development policy, which consists of family and child welfare services, counseling and correction, rehabilitation and care of the elderly.

FAMILY CASEWORK: The family being the bedrock of the society needs cohesion and stability to enhance the smooth functioning of the State and Nation.

As a result, the department intervenes in family related cases like family disputes, love deal involving pregnancy, child neglec t , child custody, child paternity, child education, widow and child property inheritance, child abandonment etc.

Between 1999 – 2005, the Department recorded a total of two thousand and twelve (2012) family related cases all over the State. Out of this, one thousand, six hundred and sixty-nine (1,669) cases were settled during the period 1999-2005, leaving a total of three hundred and forty-three (343) cases still pending and carried over to the next quarterly period (as stated in the statistical of the statistical table below )

Under this provision, the department assists children who find themselves in difficult situations so as to have a sense of belonging in the society. Example of such children are lost but found children, children of lunatic parents, children found with their mothers in prisons, children remanded in the Remand Homes, by the Juvenile Court, homeless children found loitering along the street etc.

The State government established this home after the Nigeria civil war in 1971, to care for the war orphans. It has continued to expand its scope and responsibilities till now. The home in Calabar is the only one in the State. It cares for abandoned children, children whose mothers died during labour, lost but found children etc.

Such children whose biological parents could not be traced are given out for adoption to prospective adoptive parents. Between the years 1999-2005, the following numbers of children were admitted into the Home and either given out for adoption or reunited with parents.

S/NO.	YEAR	NO. OF BABIES ADMITTED		NO. GIVEN OUT FOR ADOPTION	NO. REUNITED WITH PARENTS	NO. REPATRIATED
		MALE	FEMALE
1.	2000	12	14	7	4	4
2.	2001	6	14	6	2	2
3.	2002	9	12	17	8	2
4.	2003	11	16	6	2
5.	2004	4	5	12	3	2
6.	2005	1	1	5	-	-
7.	TOTAL	43	62	53	19	10

The State government through the Social Welfare Department gives some bounty to triplet families to alleviate their health and other social problems. Since the year 1999-2005, a total of 19 applications were received and approved for government bounty to the tune of Nine hundred and fifty thousand naira (N950, 000.00).

A Remand Home is a social institution, which serves as corrective centre for young offenders remanded on the order of a Juvenile court. There are two of such Homes in the State. One at Calabar and the other at Ogoja.

It is observed that the Remand Homes have been in a State of disrepair before the advent of the present administration. This has often resulted in frequent abscondment of inmates from the Homes.

To correct this abnormally, Government is currently embarking on the renovation of the two homes so as to ensure proper administration of Juvenile justice in the State.

In order to facilitate juvenile matters the Ministry in collaboration with the Prisons in Calabar held a Juvenile Justice Administration workshop in which the attention of stakeholders and government was drawn to the need to enhance an effective juvenile administration in the State.

In order to avoid any ugly incidence of the court sentencing a Juvenile offender for correction to a regular prison to mix with the hardened adult criminals which is against juvenile justice administration, government has taken bold step to commence renovation of her children’s Remand Homes at Calabar and Ogoja respectively.

This when completed, will prevent the frequent cases of abscondence of inmates and ensures that adequate correctional measures are put in place for the Juvenile offenders recommended by the court.

- CONSTRUCTION OF A DMORMITORY COMPLEX FOR THE MOTHERLES BABIES HOME, UWANSE, CALABAR

As part of effort by the present administration towards uplifting the well being of the less privileged ones in the society, the State government has constructed a modern dormitory complex for the Motherless Babies Home at Uwanse, Calabar. The project is 90% completed. This will go a long way towards solving accommodation problem encountered by inmates, over the years.

To ensure adequate comfort of the abandoned and motherless children, government has given a face-lift to the present the existing motherless Babies Home, pending completion of the new complex. Babies’ amenities like Baby’s cot, mattresses, floor carpet, deep freezer, gas cooker and improved food supplement have been provided by government for the children.

4. The State government has since January 2005, commenced financial subvention to nine (9) Orphanage Homes and other social institutions in the State. This has brought high relief to inmates of these institutions in terms of basic social needs.

Governments support for the socially disadvantaged is usually climaxed by rendition of succour to the elderly and the disabled on October 1 st and December 3 rd annually. Such material and financial assistance usually go a long way to ameliorate their plights.

THE WAY FORWARD

Social Work as we are all aware is not a sedentary type of job. It mostly involves field social investigations, visitations, interviews, both in the office and at the clients’ residence, for intervention in family and child welfare cases.

To enhance a more effective performance of these critical responsibilities, the following areas that have been lacking should be urgently improved upon:

Regular seminars and workshops as well as refresher courses are encouraged to update the knowledge and ability of social workers. The last workshop held for social workers in the Ministry was in 1992. Due to lack of sponsor to attend workshops and seminars, social workers are left out of current trends in social development and strategies for improvement.

It is therefore suggested that government and NGOs should begin to show interest and commitment towards sponsoring workshops and seminars for social workers and embark on retraining to update their knowledge on the current challenges.

ii) Establishment of field office: All the 18 Local Government Areas in the State are expected to have one social welfare office each for effective coverage. Presently offices exist in 13 Local Government Areas with only one professional social worker per local government office. This does not ensure adequate coverage and effective service delivery. It is therefore suggested that new hands be employed to add to the few cream of serving staff, some of whom are very close to their retirement stage.

For a very effective and functional social work, a permanent means of mobility and communication is essential. This will enhance social investigations and prompt intervention visiting clients residence on voluntary probation, going to court for juvenile welfare services, visiting of rehabilitation centres and other social institutions, etc.

Any Society without a foundation in God or Allah will not succeed. It is for this reason that the Donald Duke led administration has built a strong foundation in God by inaugurating the Christian and Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards to arrange and cater for the welfare of pilgrims to and from Jerusalem and Mecca.

The two Boards supervised by the Women Affairs Ministry, have been reconstituted while pilgrims are supported financially by Government to embark on these important holy journeys. Government has also gone a step further to make a huge budgetary provision in this year’s appropriation bill to enhance the smooth functioning of the two Boards and encourage Cross Riverians to avail themselves of the opportunity to enrich their lives with more blessings from the holy lands of Jerusalem and Mecca.

The benefits of government gesture cannot be over- emphasized. It has no doubt replicated more blessings both to the individuals and the State at large. This is evident in the transparent good governance of Mr. Donald Duke, which is much focused, and result oriented as well as the general peace and goodwill being witnessed in the State.