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From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
A 9-year-old orphan, Divine Nwankwegu, has appealed to the Ebonyi State government and well-meaning individuals to assist him in locating his family after five months of fruitless search.
Speaking with Daily Sun at the State Children’s Centre in the premises of the juvenile remand home in Ugwuachara, Abakaliki, the state capital, Divine disclosed that he hails from Nwofe Community in Izzi Local Government Area of the state.
He noted that the late Mr and Mrs Sunday and Stella Nwankwegu were his parents, and that after their deaths, he was given to one Sunday Paul and his family from Ndiegbe Sharon Junction, Izzi Local Government Area, who are yet to be located.
The boy alleged that he was maltreated, which led him to run away from the man’s house.
“My daddy is a carpenter. He died after a fall from a roof he was working on. After his death, my mother was killed by a hit-and-run lorry. Then I was given to Mr Paul Sunday for custody. He lives at Ndiegbe Sharon Junction with his family. I ran away from the house because I was being starved of food and forced to engage in farm jobs for people to make money to contribute to cooking,” he said.
“I want the government to help me trace my biological family. I was roaming the streets and feeding through alms before the police picked me up and handed me over to the Ministry,” he added.
Officer in charge of the Juvenile Remand Home, Onwe Chidiebere, narrated his efforts to trace the boy’s relatives, to no avail. The couple he identified as his guardians denied ever knowing him or giving birth to a dark-complexioned child.
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On his part, the Head of the Department of Child Development in the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Emmanuel Nkwuda, noted that Divine was found wandering at Nwofe Market in Izzi LGA on 30 July 2024 by the police. After a series of unsuccessful parent tracing investigations, he was handed over to the Ministry for further action.
He regretted that all efforts to trace the family or relatives proved abortive and called on parents to give birth to only the number of children they can comfortably care for.
He noted that after all necessary actions by the Ministry, and should his parents not be found, Section 4 of the Ebonyi State Child Rights Law would be implemented to give him a home and identity (adoption).
“This is to inform the general public that the Ebonyi State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has received a missing child, identified as Divine Nwankwegu, from the police.
“The Ministry has embarked on a series of guardians/relatives tracing without success. To that effect, we call on the general public to provide any information that will lead to locating Divine Nwankwegu’s family, late Mr and Mrs Sunday and Stella Nwankwegu. Divine is dark in complexion, about nine years old, speaks Izzi dialect fluently but seems to have lost accurate knowledge of his roots, as his said parents denied knowing him.
“When we are not able to locate the family, there will be no other option but to implement Section 4 of the Ebonyi State Child Rights Law to give him a home and identity.
“Considering the economic situation of the country, I advise parents to give birth to only the number of children they can comfortably cater for.
“Currently, we have six lost but found children in our facility, who cannot accurately trace their families or place of origin. Four are natives of the state, while the other two are from Imo State. We shall embark on parent tracing for those from Imo State this week,” he said.
