The only times a poor man's life has value in Nigeria, is during elections and census — Sani

byNational Pivot -

Senator Shehu Sani has made an apt, yet disturbing claim in response to reports of a move by the Kano State government to ban street begging and ordering the arrest of street beggars who refuse formal education.



Ganduje who gave the order on Tuesday in Kano during the launch of Basic Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) and distribution of offer of Appointment to 7,500 volunteer teachers at Sani Abacha Stadium, said his government’s compulsory free basic and secondary education policy for residents, including the integration of the Islamiyya schools into the secular education system, is aimed at ensuring the State's children are given the opportunity to learn.


He said, “Those children who are begging will be arrested and their parents will be taken to court for allowing their children to be begging instead of attending school.

“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 curricullum.

“This would go a long way in giving the kids other type of education and continue acquiring their study of the Holy Qur’an, they would at the same time learn English and Mathematics.




“That will give them an opportunity to continue with their studies to secondary schools and beyond,” he explained."


But Sani suggested in a tweet, that the Kano State government's ban on street begging smells hypocrisy. He said the ban is a classic case of of use, dump and use again when the need arises.



He said, "They use Almajiri for Rallies, elections and census and criminalize them after Rallies, elections and census; And will reuse them for the next Rallies, election and census.."

Meanwhile, the decision to ban street begging by the Kano State government, was opposed by the State's Council of Ulama.

The apex body of Islamic religious scholars in Kano state, disagreed with the state government’s directive saying it isn’t realistic and lacks seriousness on the part of the government.


The chairman of the Council, Sheikh Ibrahim Khaleel, while addressing newsmen in Kano on Wednesday, said, “For the ban to work, there has to be cooperation between the government and the Qur’anic clerics. There is the need to dialogue with them, get their statistics, reasons for begging and also get to know the number of those involved; only then will you be able to make the demarcation.


“There is also a need for collaboration with other neighboring states if really something positive is to be attained,” he said.
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