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Almajiri Schools Or Beggars’ Colleges - Politics - Nairaland

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Jonathan’s Almajiri Schools Initiative A Failure – Ganduje / No Gains For Almajiri Schools’ Graduates – Fashola / If I Hated The North, I Wouldn’t Have Built Almajiri Schools - Jonathan (2) (3) (4)

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Almajiri Schools Or Beggars’ Colleges by umechuma: 12:02pm On Oct 12, 2011
The idea of opening Almajiri schools in the northern part of the country may seem to be a good idea in the face of it, but the reality is that this project may not be the ultimate solution to this problem which has proven to defy solution for decades.
One of the reasons why this has continued to show its ugly face was that we have been fighting the smoke and never attacking the real fire. Almajirci is accepted in Islam, but the way it is being practiced in Nigeria is wrong. Learning the Islamic religion is a must for all Muslims especially the young ones, but one does not have to leave their domain to be able to obtain this knowledge. The major part of the country that produces Almajirai is the North-western states of Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Kaduna, Bauchi and Gombe. Literally, one can say it is within the Hausa-speaking states. One hardly finds a Kanuri, Fulani, Nupe, Gbagyi or the other Muslim ethnic groups involving in the activities of these young children roaming the streets begging in the name of acquiring Koranic education.
The truth must be said and necessary remedies applied to this somewhat ugly situation. Islam does not promote poverty. Why is it that only the Hausa blind, leper, an amputee, a cripple and poor person that roam the streets of this country from North to South? Other Nigerians have persons of similar disabilities, why don’t they occupy the bridges of our cities like the Hausas do? It is a shame to notice the contingents of beggars together with the so-called Almajirai at various cities and towns causing ugly spectacles. On a closer scrutiny of some of these beggars, it would be seen that some of them are not as poor as they pretend. It is a fact that some states in the southern part of the country have established institutions to train such youngsters, then why not make it universal? The federal government is sending some youngsters even overseas to train and integrate such people so as to turn them into useful citizens in the land. We have a Ministry of Niger Delta, is it probably time to have a ministry of Northern Destitute and Almajirai? The end product in all cases is to turn some youngsters into useful members of the society.
Now, having identified the source of the problem, in the case of almajiri, the immediate solution is for the states where this problem is paramount to commence administering the medicine. The first step is to apply what two former Northerners of blessed memories kept hammering to our ears but which all concerned, the elites, traditional rulers and religious leaders always refuted. Late Mallam Aminu Kano and late General Hassan Usman Katsina said “Kowa ya koma gidan ubanshi” (Everybody should go back to his father’s house)—referring mainly to these roaming streets or Almajirai. It is common knowledge that no father will send his children begging in his village, no matter how poor he may be. Thus parents must be held responsible for the upbringing of their children and the states administrations must, as a duty, ensure the educational requirements are met as being propagated under the Universal Free Primary Education for all, irrespective of ethnic or religious bias. State governments, as responsible administrations, being elected by the citizens of their states, owe it a duty to ensure that equal opportunities are provided for all citizens in their states. So, instead of creating special schools at different locations to cater for the teeming army of Almajirai from the affected states, repatriation of these young Almajirai and the destitute to their states of origin should be embarked upon and, where necessary, together with their Mallams. After necessary compilation of their names and numbers in the affected towns and villages, the states must as a matter of urgency open up more classrooms to accommodate them for formal education so that they have an even playing field with the rest of the citizens in their states. It is at this stage that special classes must be operated to cater for those considered over-age under the normal entry system. Those considered too old for primary education should be trained under the Adult Education system (Yaki da Jahilci). Thereafter trade schools should be opened so that the products of the system can be gainfully employed as useful citizens. While the central government must come into the transformation stage, the affected states must, however, shoulder the initial responsibility of the repatriation and rehabilitation.

Traditional leaders and senior Mallams need to educate the parents of those roving Almajirai that the era of sending young men to Gabas (East) to learn the Koran has gone. It is a fact that there is no village in Hausaland where one will not find a Mallam to teach all the children of that village the necessary Koranic education while they are being properly guided at their parents’ homes. The Mallams who are now roaming with the Almajiris can follow the children to their villages and be employed by the states as Islamic teachers in the expanded primary schools. Begging is anti-Islamic, except under very extreme and special conditions which when scrutinised, less than one per cent of the present beggars in our midst will qualify as beggars.

It is a shame that after all the efforts made by our northern founding fathers to bring the region to compete with the rest of the country, we are still being classified as a group of beggars, because of our lack of moral courage to right the wrongs. Some of us who mixed with the rest of our colleagues from the south are still being considered as privileged few because we had the opportunity to have proper upbringing and are both educated in both Boko and Islamic systems in the then Elementary and Middle schools. Northern region was an area that even the invading British found with administrative system under the Sokoto Caliphate that they did not find necessary to change much of at that time. Boko which was concocted from the English word ‘book’ (Boko) was taught side-by-side with Islamic religion in all the then Elementary and Middle schools which we all attended, a system that got some of us to where we are today.

It is time we wake-up to our responsibilities, but certainly not by creating another class out of the present ugly situation. Although one must not pre-empt the findings of the panels investigating the recent crisis after the last elections, one may find that the Almajirai and their types were fraudulently used to fan the embers of the carnage. One wonders how to identify the Almajirai that qualify to be enrolled into the proposed schools in the first instance, and what certificate do they come out with and where do we employ the ‘graduands’. Time has come for the necessary actions to correct the ills of the past. All hands must be on deck and no pointing of fingers at individuals. To educate the young northern elements and wipe out begging is a task that must be done, and the time to start is NOW.

Retired Rear Admiral Saidu is a former Chief of Naval Staff.

http://www.transparencyng.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5478%3Aalmajiri-schools-or-beggars-colleges&catid=59%3Aguest&Itemid=37

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