Solve Your Family Issues From Home Not On Social Media , Radio Personality Tells A Single Mother.

Relationship Issues should be dealt with at home not on social media according to Alexander Okidi's comment on Lady Nita's claim about child neglect by FoxyBoy D Commando via a Facebook video.

Anitah alias Lady Nita, CEO of Nita Promotion claimed that FoxyBoy impregnated him but failed to support the baby for almost two years now. She urged Foxy to be a responsible father of all his children instead of boosting on all the different social media platforms with new clothes and music videos.

To begin with, after realizing that Foxy is a good music artist, you invested money in him with the main aim of making him her husband.This is the same thing men do after falling in love with a lady..we spend a lot of money to convince a lady to accept but we don't complain after separation about the money spent.Therefore,my sister shouldn't complain about spending money on Foxy,Men do the same and get disappointed.

Further more, publicizing domestic issues worsen the situation.You may think you are exposing Foxyboy but you have already lost it all.

Using friends, family members and probably church leaders would have been the best way to talk to him about his responsibility.

Even if you go to police, the two of you will just get guidance and counseling services from CPS because family issues are not rushed to court until it's a capital offense but rather mediated to harmonize the family.

Finally, since you had enough money that was enough to even support the music artist, please use what you have to start a new life for you and your child.You are not the first single mother,we have many who are single handedly taking care of two or three children without the support from their father(ex husband)..Do harm to your child, you will go to prison and rot in jail.

Since you used money to win his heart,use more money to win him back.. Violence creates money problem than it solves.. Attacking him on social media gives victory to the other lady abroad showing him with money.

Alexander Okidi replied to Balmoi Steven's question.

We shouldn't be too quick to judge before listening the other side of the story.

Music artist Ociici had the same accusation recently but after his response,we realized that his wife doesn't want village life.She want to live in Kampala where they have been staying for long.

The world is against men.Whatever accusations a woman bring against his hubby, people believe it as gospel truth.

Women who are kongola loosely translated as two sided are too many many these days.

They do all it takes to be impregnated by a celebrity or a political leader and they use the child to extort money from him.They demand for unrealistic amount of money and if you refuse,they accuse you in the public to soil your name.

If one parent has the means to provide, but still refuses to do so, it is a criminal offence known as child neglect. The complaining party can report such a case using various avenues. The underlying principle in handling all children’s matters is the welfare principle which basically looks at the best interests of the child. There are both formal and informal avenues.

Informal avenues include

Seek intervention from a trusted family member, religious or cultural leader, a teacher, an elder or any other person who you believe will help in calling both parents or guardian to agree on how best their child can be well maintained. This can be done through a meditation where that trusted person engages both parents/ guardian of the child / children into reaching a practical solution for the proper maintenance  of the child/ children.

Formal avenues include

1. The Local Government Council Authority
2. The Police under the Child and Family Protection Unit (CFPU)
3. The Probation, Social and Welfare Officer (PSWO)
4. The Family and Children’s court

In the following paragraphs we will give you an overview about the processes which are followed when choosing a formal avenue. 

The Local Government Council Authority

It’s the duty of every local government council from the village to the district level to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children within its area. It’s also the duty of the local government council to designate one of its members to be in charge of Children’s affairs and that person is called a secretary for children’s affairs. It is therefore the responsibility of the Secretary of Children’s affairs to conduct a meditation in situations where children’s rights are being infringed.

Process to be followed;

1. Any community member who has evidence of violation of a child’s right e.g.: where the parent is able but refuses or neglects to provide food, shelter, clothing, medical care or education shall report to the Local government council of the area.
2. Upon receiving the report, the secretary of the children’s affairs shall summon/ call the persons against whom the report was made to discuss the matter.
3. The secretary for children’s affairs then makes a decision in the best interests of the child.
4. Where the person summoned refuses to comply, the secretary for children’s affairs refers the matter to the village executive committee court which shall adjudicate the matter to give any relief or orders as allowed by the law. In addition, the village executive committee court may order the parent or guardian to execute a bond to exercise proper care by signing an undertaking to provide the child requirements.
5. Whoever is aggrieved with the decisions of the village executive committee court can make an appeal to the parish court to the sub-county court to the Family and Children ’s court to the Chief Magistrate’s court to the High court to the court of appeal to the supreme court in that hierarchical order.

The Police under the Child and Family Protection Unit (CFPU)

These as well handle child and family related matters and in most cases engage the parents in settling and coming to an agreement on how their children can be maintained. Furthermore, the police can as well help in enforcing the child’s rights and cause arrest of those that violate the same. S.4(3) of the Children’s Act as amended and the offender is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 120 currency points (equivalent to 2.4 million UGX) or imprisonment not exceeding 5 years.

Process to be followed;

1. Any aggrieved party can report to the police a matter of child maintenance with an oral complaint to the police officer at the child and family protection desk.
2. The officer to whom a complaint is made will register the same and also record a statement from the person who has reported.
3. The officer will issue a warrant, summoning the person who has been reported.
4. Upon appearing, the police officer may engage both parties into settling the matter and enter into an agreement and reconcile.
5. Where parties fail to agree, the police officer shall record all necessary statements and attach all available evidence and forward the file to the state attorney for sanctioning.
6. Where the case has merit, the state attoreny will sanction the file and cause the same to be brought to court for hearing and determination.
7. The court upon conviction may give a fine not exceeding 2.4 million UGX or imprisonment not exceeding 5 years.

NOTE: Since the punishment itself cannot assist in ensuring proper maintenance of the child, the aggrieved party is normally advised to file a civil case for proper orders as seen below under the Family and Children’s court.

The Probation, Social and WElfare Officer (PSWO).

These are empowered with responsibilities at the district level to handle all child related matters including child maintenance. The Probation, Social and Welfare Officer can help in ensuring child maintenace  through the following ways:

1. He/ She can engage the parents or guardian into a meditation for an amicable agreement in the best interests of the child.
2. He/ she can make an application to court seeking supervision orders..

Process to be followed for a supervision order or a care oder;

1. The PSWO before making the application shall be satisfied that the local government from village to the sub county level where the child resides have dealt with the matter without success.
2. If the above is confirmed, the PSWO shall do a home visit and conduct an interview with the parents and with the child in case the child is of sufficient age to understand, for purposes of making a welfare report.
3. A welfare report shall be made and shall contain matters relating to the welfare of the child and any recommendations to the actions to be taken by the Family and children’s court.
4. The court can go ahead and grant the orders if satisfied with the welfare report.
5. A supervision order lasts for a year but can be extended by 1 more year upon application by PSWO and a written report.

What is a care order?

The social welfare officer can make an application seeking a care order.The care ordr places the child in the care of a warden of an approved home or with foster parents under the supervision of the probation and social welfare officer. This normally happens where the child needs to be maintained but the circumstances under which the child is living are very unhealthy e.g. an abusive home/ environment. This is to ensure that the child’s needs are well catered for and the proper general welfare of the child. A care order lasts for a maximum of 3 years and can be reviewed at least once a year.

The parental responsibility in this category lies largely on the warden or foster parent. The PSWO has also the responsibility of working together with the parents or guardian to prepare for the child’s return.

The Family and Children’s court

The Family and children’s court is presided over by a magistrate grade 1 and entertains applications in regards to a child’s care and protection. Court can grant orders against both or either parent for maintenace of a child. Court normally looks at who is in a good place financially to maintain the child and its orders can vary depending on the changing circumstances. The proceedings in this court are normally conducted under camera and are as informal as possible.

Process to be followed;

1. Any person who has custody of a child and who is a mother, father or guardian to the child can make an application for maintenance against the mother, father or guardian of the child as the case may be.
2. An application for maintenance of a child can be made at any time during the subsistence of the marriage, during proceedings for divorce, separation or nullity of marriage, during or after proceedings of declaration of parentage, during separation, during pregnancy and any time before the child attains 18 years.
3. The application shall be made by the complaint on oath and the court shall issue summons to be served upon either parent who is being reported and both parties shall be required to attend court on the day mentioned therein.
4. On appearance of the person served or proof of service of court summons, the court shall proceed to hear the evidence and having regard to all the circumstances of the case proceed to make orders against the father, mother or guardian as the case may be for the payment of the applicant of the following:
5. A Monthly sum of money may be determined by the court having regard to the circumstances of the case and financial means of the father, mother or guardian as the case may be for the maintenance of the child. If court deems it fit, in place of a monthly payment, it may make an order for a lump sum payment to be deposited in court and shall be expended in the maintenance of the child.
6. Funeral expenses of the child if the child dies before the grant of the child maintenance order.
7. Costs incurred in obtaining the order.

NOTE:  Child maintenance includes feeding, clothing, education and general welfare of the child.