Kano Government Bans Street Begging

 
The announcement came during the launch of Basic Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) and distribution of offer of appointment to 7,500 volunteer teachers. The event took place at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano.

“This policy of free and compulsory basic and secondary education goes along with it integration of our Almajiri system into the mainstream policy implementation which suggests that English and Arithmetic must be included in the Almajiri schools curriculum,” Ganduje said.

“When Almajiri are caught begging, it is not only that beggar is caught, but their parents or guardians would be taken to court for disrespecting our laws,” the Governor continued.  

While the Kano State Governor's announcement might sound somewhat pleasant to the hearing of millions of Nigerians across the globe, I am a bit concerned with the fact that the same executive arm of the state, through the Governor's aide, Salihu Yakasai aka Dawusi, blasted the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, over his comment on the abduction of the Kano children in 2019. 

"We heard all manner of outrage against the Igbos that our children were stolen. Did the Igbo kidnappers enter into your house to abduct the child? Or, did you allow your child to roam in the street aimlessly? We must tell ourselves the truth. When the parents first reported the case of their missing children to me, I said, had I got the powers I have sent the parents to jail," said the Emir.

"“f you can’t feed your family, don’t send your child to beg on your behalf. If we continue to live in self-denial, we will live to cry, shifting blame," the Emir continued.

Responding to the Emir, Dawusi asked Sanusi to shut up for advocating that the parents of nine children abducted from Kano and trafficked to Onitsha in Anambra State be jailed for neglecting their children to roam in the street, aimlessly.

Fast-forward to  February 25, 2020, Ganduje comes out to ban street begging and prosecute the parents of the children arrested.

Tackling Street Begging

Meanwhile, I believe the Governor should put measures in place that will discourage the act as opposed to out rightly banning street begging. Some of the identified causes of street begging include poverty, with indicators like inadequate housing, poor health care, malnutrition, unemployment and lack of education.Other causes are Break Down of the Family System, Cultural and Religious Factors, and Mental illness and Drugs.

So before the "proactive" starts to arrest street beggars and their parents, I think it is best he tackles the causes of this menace to avoid chasing shadows and creating an even bigger mess. 

In any case, what do I even know sef....

AdeyinkaWrites