A Kaduna-based Non-Governmental Organisation, Lifeline Education Foundation has commended the Kaduna State Government for evacuation of 5, 000 Almajiris to their homes, to prevent spread of COVID-19.
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Mr Tijjani Aliyu, Executive Director of the Foundation, made the commendation in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday in Kaduna.
NAN reports that the state government had announced the closure of all schools, including Tsangaya Islamic schools in the wake of the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.
The state’s Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, Mrs Hafsat Baba had explained that about 5,000 Almajiris were returned to their parents in different states.
Baba said that the evacuation of the Almajiris became necessary considering the unhealthy condition, congestion and filthy environment they were living in.
According to her, the Almajiris will be better protected against the virus by staying with their respective parents.
Tijjani described the development as “commendable” stressing that there was no better way to prevent the spread of the virus among the Almajiris.
“I was along Kano Road when I saw buses being filled with the Almajiris to evacuate them to their parents.
“God forbid if any one of them becomes infected, it will spread like wildfire,” he said.
Tijjani called on the government to come up with enabling laws to prevent children in search of Qur’anic knowledge from migrating to other states.
He said that in the past, there were very few Islamic scholars in the country, concentrated largely in Borno, Katsina and Sokoto states.
The director noted that people in search of Qur’anic knowledge, mostly grownups would have to migrate to other places to acquire Islamic knowledge, stressing that the situation had changed.
According to him, there are currently numerous Islamic schools in almost every street, particularly in northern states of the country where children can acquire the needed Qur’anic knowledge.
“There is, therefore, no reason whatsoever, for children at a very tender age to keep migrating far away from home in search of Qur’anic knowledge when they can acquire such knowledge within their immediate environment.”