Little Saints Orphanage Response To The Malicious And Libelous Publication By A Soft Sell Paper

Little Saints Orphanage Response To The Malicious And Libelous Publication By A Soft Sell Paper.

Written by Rev (Mrs) Dele George.  
Saturday, 22 November 2008
Recently a soft sell newspaper published a malicious report concerning the Little Saints Orphanage, wherein I was slandered, and terrible lies against the Little Saints and myself were published, based on a concocted story by an unstable young woman who was sent to us by a senior staff of NTA. She went to their station to solicit for someone who will adopt her five year old son.
The lady came to our office and I convinced her not to give up her baby as she and her baby were obviously attached to each other. We do not take such children because we know it is desperation and lack that propels such abandonment of children. I therefore advised her to go for some form of vocational training to empower herself. I immediately liaised with the founder of another charity organization, ‘REHOBOTH,’ that takes care of such women to help her.
The founder agreed to take her in but could not take in the child. We (Little Saints Orphanage) then agreed to help look after her child for the short period of rehabilitation and reformation. We made her to get a sworn affidavit to this effect, as well as her hand written letter (both attached). On Thursday 6th of November, she went to Rehoboth.
The next day, the founder of Rehoboth called me to say she was a difficult recipient, unwilling to abide by the rules of the home. She was sent back to us, but it was a weekend so I gave her a note to stay at our Abule Egba branch.
On arrival at my office on Monday 10th, she pleaded for another chance and for a job of any kind. She boasted about her praying abilities. I told her about a charity organization that cares for the mentally challenged and asked if she was willing to join the team of workers in the home. She became excited and with a big smile said ‘YES’.
As soon as she got there she became aggressive to the workers, and insisted on leaving the home. She was told to wait for them to get in touch with me first. She refused and became very restless. When they called me I immediately told them to let her come back to us. When she came back to us she was full of complaints.  I contacted the home and was told she was not in any way maltreated. Since we are not equipped for women like her, we encouraged her to reconcile herself to her family. We gave her 2500 naira and she left our ministry with her son promising to go and stay with a friend.
A journalist called me a few days later to book an interview which I turned down due to stress, but told him to send in the questions online. Instead of questions, he sent me a list of allegations by the same lady. I called him on phone that I could not respond to such allegations online but took time to tell him about our encounter with the lady. I asked him to investigate the allegations because the orphanage is open to all visitors.  I emphasized the injustice in printing the lies without proper investigation.
He said he will not do such a thing because he has known of the Little Saints since inception. He then promised to stop by our office for a full report.
We were shocked, disappointed and dismayed to see that he still went ahead to slander me and the Little Saints.
Since 1994 when the orphanage commenced the operation of the rehabilitation, reformation and reintegration of orphans, abandoned and abused children, we have never gotten such negative report. The orphanage works in collaboration with the ministry of youth sports and social development on adoption. No child leaves the orphanage without an approval letter from the ministry. No child is put up for adoption without the full completion of all relevant documents, and total investigation of circumstances surrounding any abandonment. We do not charge for adoption. There is no financial inducement in our dealings with adopters, nor with women with unplanned pregnancies or unwanted babies, nor with good Samaritans.
We have over 120 children in four branches of the orphanage; all of them with the exception of the babies are preoccupied with their education. They go to nursery, primary and secondary schools around the orphanage.
 Visitors will confirm that the children are very accessible and if any thing is wrong in the environment it cannot be hidden. In September and November this year TEN of the Little Saints gained admission into LASU and Crawford University. We are still trying hard to get sponsors for them. It appears the purpose of the publication is to destroy the future of the children, and to frustrate our humanitarian efforts by choosing to publish the imaginary tales of an unstable woman.
We forgive the Paper for the malicious and libelous publication. We request that the Editor of the paper visit the orphanage to comfort the children who at this point are very grieved. Their young and vulnerable characters have been threatened. The shame of the lies against them could be hanging over their heads.
 After a visit to any of the branches of the orphanage and anyone who leaves to wickedly allege that these young girls, who by sheer determination, have struggled to overcome their traumatic pasts, are involved in such ungodly acts of being impregnated to deliver babies, is diabolical and dubious. This kind of allegation is the imagination of a twisted mind and it is punishable by the Father of the fatherless.
In the face of such horrible attack it is hard to be a caring Nigerian, but we have no regrets because God is our strength in the Little Saints Orphanage. I say THANK YOU to all our patrons, friends and well wishers who have identified with us all through the years. We rest our case with God. He rewards the just but the wicked will be condemned in judgment by God who is the defender of the oppressed.