The Jigawa state Governor Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar has received 524 Almajiri from Kano state.
The Governor revealed that the almajiri, who are currently at the NYSC camp in Jigawa, will undergo medical screening before they are allowed back to their homes.
The children would be provided with beds and food until they are declared safe to be safe to mingle with other people in society. While responding to Journalists, Abubakar said that the state has no intention to evacuate non-indigene almajiri to their states as this would pose more danger in the spread of COVID-19.
Earlier, the commissioner of Education, Mr Sunusi Kiru, who led the team that brought the almajiri to Jigawa says the children went through medical screening before they were conveyed to the state.
Which home will the governor return them to? How did they become almajiris in the first place? It is high time the northerners stopped breeding almajiris. Do some thing that will stop this societal problem permanently. Don’t turn almajiris to a normal thing or culture of the north.
I have an idea, I can see a great economic potential in the almajiris. The north is known for agricultural or farming activities. Let us harvest these boys who are full of strength. Deploy them to government farms of farms belonging to corporate organisation Provide them with low quality housing, at least that is better than the streets where they currently sleep. Give them minimal or basic provisions. Make time table for them on job schedule and train them for farm works. Let them earn money based on their individual outputs to avoid indolence. Open savings account for them where their earnings will be saved. Don’t give them free money, otherwise every youth will turn to almajiris.
Manage them for productivity. Make their money accessible to them after some period (months or years). Then they can choose to get another accommodation with their earned money outside the low cost accommodation provided.
The initial accommodation should not be totally free otherwise it will be abused. A token would be deducted from thier earnings to cover subsidised accommodation cost..
Like “waste to wealth” we can turn the almajiris to responsible citizens. Meanwhile, a strong law should be made to discourage turning children on streets on all grounds.