Enforce ban on street begging, group urges Northern governors

By Samuel Luka, Bauchi

Governments in the North have been advised to initiate welfare programmes for people with disabilities, vulnerable members of the society and enforce the ban on street begging.

A social group known as “Mu Kawar da bara Movement” (meaning ‘let us eradicate begging) said that it was worried by the endemic child begging associated with the almajiri system of education in the northern parts of the country and is appealing to all stakeholders to solve the menace by equipping the almajiri children with skills. 

The Kano state Coordinator of the movement, Aliyu Assufy Algambiyawy made the call yesterday during a sensitization meeting with stakeholders on the menace of street begging by children in the state. 

The group, Mu kawar da bara, called on the governments in the region to train ‘almajiris’ on skills acquisitions as part of measures to transform them to be self-reliant and end child begging. 

According to him, the movement was established in March in Kaduna state, adding that the objective is to prevail on governments and stakeholders on the need to implement solutions that have been offered by many scholars on how to end street begging. 

He added that their mission is to change the mindset of the society by promoting learning, hard work and self-reliance thereby reducing street begging in the country. 

“The purpose of the event is to rub minds with stakeholders on how to bring lasting solution to the menace of street begging in the society,” he said. 

According to him, for this to be achieved there must be synergy between governments at all levels, wealthy citizens as well as all stakeholders.