Students rescue abandoned baby on university farm

An abandoned newborn baby boy was yesterday morning rescued by two students of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU), Abia State, on their way to the school farm to source forage for animals for their Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) practical.

Spokesperson for the university, Adanma Odefa, told The Guardian that the development jolted the university community and described the baby boy as a special gift to the university.

Expressing optimism on his survival, she said that he would be named after the university.

Odefa stated that an undergraduate, Ukeje Chukwuebuka, a 400-level student in the Department of Animal Breeding and Physiology, and his friend, Irodiuwa Macholly, discovered the boy on their way to the farm in the morning.

According to Ukeje, “We had come for our SIWES practical. We came to cut forage for the animals and my friend saw the baby. So, he came and called me because he was afraid to carry him. I carried the baby and we took him to the university’s security unit.”

Odefa further told The Guardian that on getting the report, “the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Madu Ofo Iwe, drove to the university’s health centre, where the rescued baby was transferred by the Chief Security Officer, Sir Alex Okafor and described the individual who dumped the baby as a callous person.

“The VC urged young people to desist from sexual relationships until they are ready to take care of children. If the mother of the baby is one of us, we appeal to her and other women not to continue with this type of act because every soul is important to God. For every soul that is mismanaged; any person that causes another person to die will account for it. It is even generational.

“When you look at things that happen to people today, you can trace them to some of the generational upsets caused at a time. We thank God that the child is alive. By God’s grace, I am sure he will survive.”

The VC directed the Director of the University’s Health Services, Dr. Chikwendu Udenze, to keep his office abreast of developments, and he made a personal donation for the baby’s upkeep, saying “University is attached to him and would continue to see to his well-being.”

The Medical Director told the VC that he had contacted the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.