OMU-ARAN (KWARA), The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has urged parents to attach more importance to obtaining proper birth registration of their wards to assist the nation in future development plans.
The agency’s Director in Irepodun Local Government Area in Kwara state Mrs. Comfort Ajibade, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Omu-Aran on Thursday.
Ajibade said that lack of proper birth documentation could be a major stumbling block toward an effective implementation of governments’ future development plans, especially at the grassroots.
She said that proper birth documentation and registration would also assist to save the country from age falsification by some people to gain undue advantage.
The director accused some parents allowing the joy of having a new born to overshadow their civic responsibility of going through a proper birth documentation process to obtain a valid birth certificate.
“Most parents are guilty of this offence, especially in remote towns and villages. The case is more compounded for those who patronise herbal delivery homes.
“They (affected parents) only come to realise their mistakes when such children become grown up and in desperate need of this important document for future pursuit.
“I think it is the responsibility of every parent to obtain a valid birth registration certificate of their new born to assist government in having adequate and correct statistical data needed for planning,” Ajibade said.
She described as unfashionable the act of going through the process of obtaining birth certificates via the courts by way of getting age declarations.
The NOA director urged health officials in clinics and maternities across the country to be alive to their responsibilities by ensuring adequate records of birth for every child delivered in their respective hospitals.
Ajibade said some essential areas needing adequate birth records to include the academics, health, population and census, passport and visa processing.
