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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.
The governor, while lamenting the plight of the almajiri, who are left to survive on street begging, said his administration will send a bill to the state House of Assembly seeking to ban street begging in the state.
He, however, said this will be done only after ways have been identified on how to end street begging by the almajiri.
The governor said his administration had delayed sending the bill before the Assembly pending the submission of the report.
He noted that the influx of almajiri into the state was 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.
Governor Sule pointed out that the almajiri system is among the 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 to, choosing 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,” Sule said.
He expressed appreciation that the group, earlier mandated in November last year to undertake a study of the number of almajiri schools in the state, as well as advise on ways the state government could intervene, was able to finally submits its report.
He disclosed that the report will be handed over to the Secretary to the State Government, Tijjani Aliyu Ahmad, for further deliberations and action.
Presenting the report earlier, Nasarawa State Chairman of the Quranic Reciters Association of Nigeria, Imam Gwani Abdullahi Aliyu, disclosed that so far, every almajiri school across the state had been registered.
Imam Aliyu pleaded with the governor to consider the report with magnanimity, in line with his manifest contributions to the group as well as Islam.
He extended the appreciation of the national leaders of the group who acknowledged the recognition the governor accorded the group in the state.
