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Leader of the Muslim Community in Benue State, Garba Baba, has established an Arabic nursery and primary school to cater for underprivileged and street children. The school, AGB Education Centre, Makurdi, has capacity to admit 1000 students. At present, it operates with 500 children retrieved from the streets.
Baba said he was moved to establish the school to better their lives and lots of street children: “The school is free of any charge.
Exposure to education will help tackle the problems of insecurity such as Boko Haram, banditry, militia attacks and kidnappings.
“It is better to use our resources to establish schools and institutions that will nurture the younger ones and curtail avenue ofengaging in crimes.
“The moral issue is to ensure that there is peace. Government has been struggling to maintain peace in Benue State, to see, especially that people sleep with their two eyes closed.
“If that happens, even the Muslim community will sleep with their eyes closed. Tiv, Igbo and other communities will have peace. That is my prayer.”
Governor Samuel Ortom commissioned the school: “That AGB deemed it fit to establish this school to curtail this menace is a privilege to this society.
“The man who established it is humane. That is the reason God made it possible for him to be the leader of the Muslim community.
“That is what God wants from all of us. When you are given, it is not just for yourself, it is also for the downtrodden. I have known Alhaji for over 40 years. I have never heard anybody, except somebody that is evil that complained about Alhaji.
“This man has a good heart. I want to thank God for him. He is a pillar of peace in Benue state. Since I became governor we have worked very close. I have brought him close to the traditional and religious leaders, co-opted him into the security council of the state.
“The peace I enjoyed since I came in, there has never been a religious crisis anywhere. Muslims and Christians are all God’s creations. We must respect each other if any decides to serve his God. Benue State is for all irrespective of tribe and religion. But you must respect the laws of the land.
“Taking our children off the streets, almajiris, orphans all those that do not have opportunity to have education is a right step in the right direction. Education, whether Christian or Islamic, will definitely uplift the status of any human being, you study and you know more.
“So, catching our children young instead of allowing them to study wayward life and cause confusion and create problems in the society, will go a long way in facilitating and helping the society in maintaining peace.”
