Kano governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, on Tuesday, February 25, banned street begging by children popularly referred to as Almajiris in the state.
That was contained in a statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Abba Anwar. Ganduje said the move was to fully consolidate the free and compulsory primary and secondary schools education in the state.
The statement read: “If almajiri teacher thinks he cannot accept the new policy he has to leave the state. When Almajiri are caught begging, it is not only that beggar is caught, but his parents or guardians.
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“Such parents or guardians would be taken to court to face the wrath of the law. This move is aimed at populating the education sector in the state with qualified teachers for the government’s new policy.
“This policy of free and compulsory basic and secondary education goes along with its integration of our Almajiri system into the mainstream policy implementation. This suggests that English and Arithmetic must be included in the Almajiri schools curriculum.”
Earlier, The Herald reported that Muhammad Sanusi, Emir of Kano, on Thursday sent a strong warning to fathers who send out their children to beg for alms.
Sanusi said any man who is too poor to take care of his family should go out and beg by himself, and not send his children.
The emir made this known at a conference Future Assured Initiative, the non-governmental organisation of Aisha Buhari, the first lady, organised in collaboration with the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).
He said no law provides that a man should marry, have children and abandon them without living up to his responsibility to them.
According to him, “Every day, wives are complaining about their husbands who claim their rights but abandon their responsibilities of marriage, women being divorced with their husbands not taking care of the children and those children ending up on the streets, drugs, political thuggery, violent extremism.
“No law that talks about consent in marriage, the rights of wives and husbands, domestic violence , rights of women divorced , the responsibilities of husbands under divorce situations, if a child is found on the streets, is the father that is responsible and can the state hold him accountable?