The Lagos State Government has evacuated 3,000 beggars back to their various states and neighbouring countries in the last nine months.

Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola on Youth, Sports and Social Development, Dr. Dolapo Badru, disclosed this yesterday at the celebration of the 2009 International Day of Persons With Disabilities in Lagos.

He said that some of the beggars were sent to ECOWAS countries, while others were sent to the northern states and other parts of the country.

According to him, the move was part of government’s programme to re-unite the beggars with their relations so that they can live meaningful lives.

“This government has embarked on rescue exercise to remove beggars and destitute from the streets of Lagos so that they can be reunited with their relations and live a peaceful and prosperous life,” he said.

Badru stated that this act of reuniting them with their relations was better for them, than exposing themselves to the hazards of the environment such as living in uncompleted buildings, under bridges and begging for alms on the streets, where they could be run down by moving vehicles or used for ritual purpose by unscrupulous persons.

The special adviser advised Nigerians from outside the state to discourage their relations, who have one disability or the other, from coming to Lagos to beg for alms, adding that instead of bringing them to beg, they should encourage them to learn vocation of their choices in vocational institutions that abounded in their states.

“The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) cannot be achieved without the full and effective inclusion of persons with disabilities and their participation in all stages of the MDG processes.

“We must see to it that persons with disabilities are empowered with needed skills and training to be able to respond to various challenges and able to live a fulfilled life. We must individually and collectively ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities are not trampled upon.

“It is in ensuring justice, equal opportunity and fairness for all that Nigeria and indeed, the world will experience peace and stability,” he stated.

Badru stressed the need to renew commitment to the principles of dignity and justice, equal opportunity and to make sure that the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was implemented.

“Globally, almost one in 10 persons is living with disability and recent studies indicate that persons with disabilities constitute up to 20 percent of the population living in poverty in developing countries.

“Many persons with disabilities continue to face barriers to their participation in their communities and are often forced to live on the margins of society,” he said, adding, “they often face stigma and discrimination and are routinely denied basic rights such as food, education, employment, access to health and reproductive health services.  It is now time to give necessary support to persons with disabilities for them to live their dreams.”

The theme of this year’s celebration is: Making the MDGs Inclusive: Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.

Badru said this year’s theme was timely as the MDGs provided the best available framework for fulfilling the promise by world leaders at the summit in 2000 to spare no effort at freeing people from the abject and dehumanising conditions of extreme poverty.

He added that the MDGs established a unifying set of developmental objectives for global community by bringing together United Nations agencies, governments and civil society around eight key developmental issues.

“It fosters collaborative action to reduce poverty, improve health and address educational and environmental concerns around the world’s most pressing development problems,” he stated.

President, Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), Mr. Adeyemi Okikiade, called for equal opportunities for disabled people in the political arena.

He disclosed that many physically-challenged persons were currently aspiring for political offices at all levels of government, while appealing to political leaders and parties to be ready to accommodate them.

“We implore our political leaders to include persons with disabilities in election management bodies, appointment structures, security and general political appointment.

“We strongly demand that all our governments, corporate bodies, religious and cultural leaders should avoid discrimination against persons with disabilities.   Public perception has been the main challenge confronting persons with disabilities in the society,” he said.

http://thepmnews.com/2009/12/04/lagos-evacuates-3000-beggars

It's a tough job, somebody got to do it.


We'll get there, it's just a matter of time.


Eko o ni baje,

Fash baba eko o ni baje o

O Baje Tii

Evacuates?

Force deportation of Dirty Stinking Hausa/Fulani North by Yorubas only because they are poor, nay wah.

@wilywily
so repatriating ur so-called dirty stinking hausa/fulani is what u called na wah,,?those guys are realy defacing lagos

~Bluetooth:

@wilywily
so repatriating your so-called dirty stinking hausa/fulani is what u called na wah,,?those guys are realy defacing lagos

They are human beings,they aren't 'defacing' anywhere.

But I agree with this:

babapupa:

It's a tough job, somebody got to do it.
We'll get there, it's just a matter of time.
Eko o ni baje,

willywilly, i want to ask if you are from the north and if pls u cannot compare that place with lagos where begging is a normal thing in lagos its not so the BIG DEAL IS THAT EKO KO NI BAJE!!! O BAJE TI

Well what he did was right but please let no one refer to fellow human beign as dirty, rubbish or stinking they are humabeign like us a made of almighty pls that language is uncalled for and under-statemnt for an intellect.

i cannot believe this! these are unfortunate humans, who mainly because of their disability are unable to get employment especially when able-bodied people are unable to find too. begging should not be an inconvenience to us, i think that a better approach was to create empowerment schemes, rather deportation and concentrate on planting flowers. besides, the constitution has granted freedom of movement, therefore they can be deported. and fashola is a muslim! the Prophet would not have done that.

adenykie:

willywilly, i want to ask if you are from the north and if pls u cannot compare that place with lagos where begging is a normal thing in lagos its not so the BIG DEAL IS THAT EKO KO NI BAJE!!! O BAJE TI

I'm not from North,
Lagos is part of Nigeria, and Those Beggars are Nigerians, so they are free to live any where of their Choice.
Forceful deportation by Yorubas of Dirty Stinking Northern Beggar only because they are poor is wrong,
what of thousands of Yoruba Beggars, what will happen to them. Are they going to be dump in Togo.

mr.official:

WilyWily, are you alright? Whats yoruba in this now? What has that got to do with evicting beggars?

tribalism dey run inside your blood. Goat!

Mr.Official,
You are a Genetically Born Ape,
The forced Deportation of those Beggars is an Oduduwa peoples policy, this is not ordinary eviction, this is a forced deportation to an unknown place against their will only because they are poor,
The Evils of Yorubas will Live with Them.

bisiaet:

Well what he did was right but please let no one refer to fellow human beign as dirty, rubbish or stinking they are humabeign like us a made of almighty pls that language is uncalled for and under-statemnt for an intellect.

How will i describe a hypocrite,
How can you support the Forceful deportation of your fellow Nigerian only because they are poor and pretends to defend them

Devil incarnated in Human Skin

Evacuate?

Kay 17:

i cannot believe this! these are unfortunate humans, who mainly because of their disability are unable to get employment especially when able-bodied people are unable to find too. begging should not be an inconvenience to us, i think that a better approach was to create empowerment schemes, rather deportation and concentrate on planting flowers. besides, the constitution has granted freedom of movement, therefore they can be deported. and fashola is a muslim! the Prophet would not have done that.

Point of correction, 60-80% of them were not naturally disabled. Most of them were disabled by SHARIA. If the north thinks it is okay to cut off a man/woman's hand for stealing or whatever, then they should be able to provide for them when they become a nuisance to society. Rather, they close a blind eye and watch them ship themselves to the south to become beggars. Good riddance to bad rubbish

the rest should be registered and leicensed

[Posted by: phuck_NL

b]Point of correction, 60-80% of them were not naturally disabled. Most of them were disabled by SHARIA. If the north thinks it is okay to cut off a man/woman's hand for stealing or whatever, then they should be able to provide for them when they become a nuisance to society. Rather, they close a blind eye and watch them ship themselves to the south to become beggars. Good riddance to bad rubbish[/b]

Where did you get your statistics from? Feel free to comment but do not allocate blames to the wrong quarters.

Lagos is a mega-city and curbing street-begging is not a bad idea.How many beggars parade the streets of new york or london.So if fashola took such initiative,then it shouldnt be tribalized.He's only trying to meet up the challenges of a modern city

FAshola is an idiot, how he got that SAN without contributing to Nigerian jurisprudence is not surprising, corruption is not NEW in Nigeria.

~Bluetooth:

Lagos is a mega-city and curbing street-begging is not a bad idea.How many beggars parade the streets of new york or london.So if fashola took such initiative,then it shouldnt be tribalized.He's only trying to meet up the challenges of a modern city

do you think mega cities are created by deporting beggars? fashola must have being deceiving you.

Kay 17:

  FAshola is an slowpoke, how he got that SAN without contributing to Nigerian jurisprudence is not surprising, corruption is not NEW in Nigeria. do you think mega cities are created by deporting beggars? fashola must have being deceiving you.

u said fashola is an SLOWPOKE  r u alright @ all.? pls rephrase dat ur sentence-an slowpoke ? jeeeezzzzz How many times hv u given alms to d poor/beggars  n u r here saying nonsense 

@kay 47
what is your problem with fashola, He's cleaning the whole place and you are still complaining.Lagos is a city and should be treated and recognize as one.

If i were in his shoes, I mean fashola, I would rather give each of the beggars 200k or 500k, to send them off, get a lfe, not just sending them away without democracy dividends

Fashola is a big foooooooooooooooollll

@purestboy
sorry if your folks are deported but what need be done must be done.

nethacker:

u said fashola is an SLOWPOKE  r u alright @ all.? pls rephrase dat your sentence-an slowpoke ? jeeeezzzzz How many times hv u given alms to d poor/beggars  n u r here saying nonsense 

i actually wrote a stronger insult but it was edited. AMERICAN BOY!

~Bluetooth:

@kay 47
what is your problem with fashola, He's cleaning the whole place and you are still complaining.Lagos is a city and should be treated and recognize as one.

democracy is about equality, fraternity and liberty. so to illiterates like you who cannot appreciate the tolerance of democracy. people are not entities that should be swept away. fashola is a disgrace to his legal profession.

@kay 17
i'm realy tired of lecturing you here,dont you get it.There is what we call rural-urban migration.People migrate in search of greener pastures and when they do that,they are expected to engage in lawful jobs and not litter the street or sleep under bridges and abandoned buildings.It is the responsibility of every state governor to cater for his people,why will fashola cater for these "excesses" when he has not even done much for lagosian