Linus Oota , Lafia
Nasarawa State governor, Abdullahi Sule, has decried the influx of almajiri in Lafia, the state capital, as well as other major towns in the state.
The governor raised the alarm while receiving a report on the statistics of almajiri schools across the state, from members of the Quranic Reciters Association of Nigeria, at the Government House, yesterday. While lamenting the plight of the almajiri, who are left to survive on the street begging, Sule said his administration will send a bill to the House of Assembly seeking to ban street begging.
He however said this will be done only after ways have been collectively identified on how to end street begging by the almajiri. The governor said his administration had delayed sending the bill to the assembly pending the submission of the report.
He noted that the influx of almajiri into the state, is a major security threat, even as he said the proliferation of almajiri who spend their time begging on the street, exposes the children to dangers. Sule pointed out that the almajiri system is among major challenges confronting the North, stressing that all hands must be on deck in order to address the menace of street begging.
He further decried a situation where parents give births to numerous children that they fail to cater for their immediate needs, but prefer to send them far away, and to live them under the care of Islamic scholars.
“Regarding the law banning street begging, we will tarry a while until we are able to arrive at a collective resolution stopping the almajiri from street begging.
“I don’t want a situation where we will pass the law and at the end subject these children to more difficulties,” the governor said.
He expressed appreciation that the group, earlier mandated last November to undertake a study of the number of almajiri schools in the state, as well advise on ways the state government could intervene, was able to finally submit its report.