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The Governing Board of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria (UMCN) Orphanage, on Saturday, denied the allegations making the round that her orphanage home in Jalingo Taraba State was being used as a child trafficking home.
A statement by Mrs Mary Tijos, the Board Chairman, described the allegation as false and misleading, aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the organisation and its programmes.
Nigerian Tribune reports that a group of persons claimed to be from Banbuka Community of state had earlier last week, accused Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna and the late Mr Simon Benjamin who was coordinator of the orphanage of allegedly turning the orphanage home into a child trafficking home.
But Mrs Mary Tijos, the Board Chairman, while reacting to the allegation urged the general public to disregard the information.
“This group of persons who claimed to be the parents and guardians of some orphans from Bambuka Community have accused the Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria Rev. Johnwesley Yohanna and their late brother Mr Simon Benjamin of turning the orphanage into a child trafficking home.
“I, on behalf of the board wish to unequivocally inform the relevant agencies and the general public that the claims are totally false, unfounded and misleading.
“The UMCN Orphanage is an initiative Programme of the Council of Bishops which was established in 2005 to recruit orphans, vulnerable and abandoned children with the sole aim of giving them hope which the organization has achieved over the years without any case of child trafficking.
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“The achievements recorded by the management of the home are very glaring. Our educational drive for these orphans is commendable, just recently, four orphans graduated from the university, and three of them graduated from the African University in Zimbabwe. A university institution of the United Methodist Church, where one of them studied banking and finance and the two others studied Medical Laboratory Science and the other orphans studied Accounting at Taraba State University and she has just finished her NYSC in Bauchi state.
“These orphans studied far away from their relations and there has never been any form of child trafficking on them so. I want to state here that the allegation of child trafficking here is not true.
“We have always provided monthly reports and updates of the statistics of the orphans and all the programmes of the UMCN Orphanage are always sent to the relevant authorities that give permission for the operation of the UMCN Orphanage. So, if there were any contrary activities against the aims and objectives of establishing the orphanage, the government agencies would have indicted the orphanage long ago.
“We, therefore, call on the relevant agencies to swing into action and Investigate the allegations and make their findings public for the interest of the organisation and the general public as the organisation is governed by highly respected individuals whose spirit and integrity will never allow child trafficking in the orphanage,” she said.
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