Council differs with Ganduje on banning street begging

Chairman of the Kano state Council of Ulamah, Ibrahim Khaleel, has said that the recent ban of street begging by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje is not feasible since the government is not serious about the issue. 

In a swift reaction in Kano on Wednesday, Khaleel explained that the state government lacks the political will to tackle or address the menace of street begging popularly known as ‘almajiranci’. 

He said that “this government is not serious and cannot do it because it has not taken the right steps. To us at the council of Ulamah, the government cannot do it and is not serious about it.

“They are just doing it to appease their masters abroad or get their money or some kind of noise-making. Or they might have been accused of something from somewhere for which they simply organise a ceremony and that is all. That is our opinion.”

The Ulamah council chairman, who is also an advocate against street begging gave a brief history of efforts made in the past to curtail the menace and suggested methods through which the menace can be eradicated, insisting that all forms of street begging be identified and stakeholders be involved to end the phenomenon.

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“The right steps to follow in banning street begging include identifying the Qur’anic clerics involved because there are street beggars who are Qur’anic students.

“There are beggars who are sent by their parents from the rural areas to come and beg in urban areas, and there is also the begging by physically challenged individuals.

“So, for the ban to work there has to be a cooperation between the government and the Qur’anic clerics. You have to sit with them and understand why they engage in begging; get some statistics and know the total number of those engaging in street begging among them.

“If you identify all these, it is then that you will come to know exactly beggars that are not Qur’anic students. More so, you cannot stop begging in the state without joining hands with the neighbouring states.

“If you recall, there was the case of a man who just sent three of his children to the city to be begging for sustenance because he wanted to place his new wife in the room they were occupying. You can see that these kids are not necessarily ‘almajiris’ or Qur’anic pupils. 

“Therefore, you need statistics of the real situation, know the total number of the Qur’anic teachers, the total number of the Qur’anic schools and their pupils.

“You will then know their needs, understand their problems and then proffer the right solutions. You can decide to cater for them or send them back to their homes. But, you have not conducted all these,” he added.

However, he called on the government to consult the right persons and stakeholders in finding the right solution to the problem.