Oye Lithur’s wish at last

Following the pressure mounted by an angry Nana Oye Lithur, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the good Samaritans who saved the life of an 18-month-old baby girl have decided to call off their philanthropic gesture.

Snippets of information gathered by Daily Guide indicate that the two foster parents-Shirley and Jennifer- had sent the child to the Osu Children’s Home in fulfillment of Oye Lithur’s express orders on Tuesday evening.

Jennifer, who took the little girl to the home, handed her over to the managers in the presence of Christian Babooroh, the Director of Social Welfare who had pitched camp there following a threat by Nana Oye to cause his arrest if he failed to see to the baby girl’s transfer to the Home.

Interestingly, this paper was also reliably informed that the Osu Home, where Nana Oye had fought tooth and nail to get the child sent to for ‘safe keeping’, had not received its usual subvention from government for the upkeep of the inmates for the year.

Daily Guide’s source further added that even if it did come, it was woefully inadequate to meet the needs of the growing population of children in the Home, hence the initial refusal by the caretakers of the Home to take the little girl when she was first sent there.

They argued: “This is why it was not a bad idea for somebody to assist the facility by taking care of this only child, a child they could have secretly kept in their house without even the minister knowing or hearing anything about.”

Nana Oye, wife of President Mahama’s lawyer in the just ended election petition hearing, following Daily Guide’s expose on the matter, dominated news headlines yesterday when she issued a stern 24-hour ultimatum on Monday evening to Christian Babooroh, Director of Social Welfare, to produce the rescued baby or risk being sent to jail.

A Deputy Minister, Ms Rachel Florence Appoh, who had instructed Mr. Babooroh to give the baby to the two ladies after signing a temporary undertaking, was also not spared the blazing wrath of Nana Oye, who allegedly issued a threat to cause her arrest as well.

Earlier, Ms Appoh had told Daily Guide in an interview that her boss had over-reacted; which development sent the Social Welfare Director ‘wandering’ in search of Shirley and Jennifer.

“I think I don’t know, she went far but I haven’t even talked to her. The director could not stay in the office today because of that arrest threat; I mean he is so frustrated, don’t even like the way he is panicking. I’m not even comfortable; I think she went too far.”

Mr. Babooroh, Daily Guide learnt, did not go to the office on Tuesday for fear of being arrested by the Minister, but rather stayed put at the Osu Children’s Home waiting for the baby, named Shirley-Jen, to be delivered to the managers of the Home.

Rachel Appoh, who was allegedly also threatened with arrest, said her constituents at Gomoa West were scared when they heard the report of her possible arrest.

She said they wanted to rush to Accra, but she stopped them from coming, assuring her 90, 000 constituents that she was fine.