Almajiri ban: Another shadow-boxing Recently President Muhammadu Buhari said the federal government would ban almajiri system in the country because the system is a nursery for violent crimes. UJI ABDULLAHI ILIYASU in his analysis, reports that the insecurity in the north is caused more by an economic factor than illiteracy. Background The almajiri education system is associated with primary school-age children begging for food and money in the streets in many northern Nigerian states. Many of them are sent by their parents to live with and study Qur’anic education in their teachers’ homes. Unfortunately, they spend most of their valuable time begging for food in the streets, and from home to home. Making education free and compulsory is good, but banning almajiri education system will negate the objective, and also undermines the right to religious obligations, many Muslims will say. Nobody tell us to stop using donkeys for transport instead of modern vehicles. If parental poverty is reduced and free compulsory education and living condition improves, almajiri will disappear by itself without any national legislation. Almajiri education, like hijab, is a sensitive issue which if banned, will create bitterness between Muslims in north and the federal government. In all, Nigeria is wont of doing things not from the humanistic angle but from angle and view of the rich. When the street boys or the almajiri were wandering in the streets looking for what to eat, it was no man’s trouble until we found out that insurgents and armed banditry and kidnapping were caused by their lack of education and parental guidance. Unfortunately what these children need most is national guidance and care which is grossly lacking. The rich and the poor in the north have become used to the perceived advantages of almajiri education that it will need a strong reorientation to do without it. One, the almajiri children provide cheap labour for the rich in the neighbourhood, and they also provide the mob of beneficiaries of sacrifices prescribed by ‘big men’s marabouts, thus providing spiritual advantages to the rich and economic advantages to the poor and the needy in the north. The almajiri take a large chunk of Nigeria’s about 13.5 million out-of-school children. Out of this number, it was reported by UNICEF that 69 per cent are in the northern parts of the country and FCT. Almajiri to go from streets? The federal government’s planned evacuation of almajiri from northern streets is a welcome development long overdue. A development many concerned Nigerians, especially compatriots in the north, had been expecting from the government. But in carrying out this noble objective, there are many challenges to contend with. The first thing that gives rise to crime and criminal tendencies in any country is the harsh economic condition which rubbishes the humanity of man; in this example, of poor parents in the north. In Nigeria today, many members of an average family wake up without knowing what to eat, thus they cannot differentiate breakfast from lunch or supper, which they only eat for survival. Meanwhile politicians, businessmen and women as well as traditional rulers flaunt their wealth in public during social functions and political gatherings, to the bitterness of the poor. The clergy who preach against wealth as being the root of evil are themselves the seekers of this evil. So the first thing to do for the government is to try to make sure every Nigerian has something to eat when he wants to eat. Until average parents in the north are able to send their children to school like any other rich man in their neighbourhood, and until every Nigerian can get married to their heartbeat without hindrance due to parental differences in socio-economic status, that violent crimes can reduce. Commonsense suggests that kidnapping, armed robbery and violent crimes are committed by those who want to end their despicable life but think otherwise, as far as committing suicide is frowned at by their religions. They would rather find an alternate means to end their suffering. The option via armed robbery, kidnapping, cattle rustling and other crimes, wrapped in their philosophy of ‘better life or death’ comes easily. Instead of them to kill themselves they prefer to be killed by others so that in the hereafter they may have something to say in defence of their life. First, for the almajiri to go out of the scene, their malam or teachers also have to go. This is because most almajiri, apart from fending for themselves from the proceeds of begging in the streets, they also are the breadwinners of their malam. Some of these malam establish Qur’anic school not because they want to serve God and humanity but out of the dire consequences of the harsh economic situation. And so the almajiri, like apprentices to Igbo businessmen, who help them in their business, help the malam in their day-to-day familial upkeep. This is why almajiri spend about 70 per cent of his time begging for alms. Also many laws in the country discriminate against the poor. The rich politician or public servant who steals say N10 billion from the coffers of the federal government may be asked to return a property worth N10 million through what they called ‘plea bargain’, but the poor who steals N10,000 may get up to 10 years in jail, and in the Sharia northern states, his hand may be cut while the governors who orders the execution smiles away from Government House with stolen billions. He enjoys immunity while serving and gets plea bargain after service, if caught by EFCC. Also, checking the growing national population is important. Hardly would a couple blessed with only one child turning around to look for who to adopt the child. Most of these almajiri are given birth to by parents who have more than enough children to cater for and so needs external hand to carry their burden, and where they find ready hand is the almajiri education system. Also, the destitute in the country need to be taken care of by a functioning social investment net. Some of the almajiri who roam the streets and eventually, in some cases, become criminals are children of the destitute. Some were given birth to by the insane in the streets. More often than not, the street insane are patronised at night by well-to-do members of the society, probably according to the directive of their marabouts when they go in search of power and fame. Religion may frown at family planning but it is equally haram to embarrass the faithful by begging in the street or in the mosque, church, or other worship places. In the north, professional begging has been smuggled into Islamic religion especially by core northern Muslims. Northern Muslims should note that the Sultan of Sokoto and Sarkin Muslim does not have a child among the almajiri children begging in a street of Nigeria. Also Sheikh Mahmud Gumi and Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, have no children begging in the streets as a religious obligation. This goes to show that begging is not Islamic as some Muslims seem to believe. Nigeria’s Population in 2050 United Nation’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in June 2017 report, projects Nigeria as the world’s third most populous country by the year 2050. Statistics by experts show that by 2040, Nigeria’s population growth would have quadrupled without commensurate social amenities and jobs to sustain it. With such development, Nigeria would overtake the United States in population just as world population would hit 9.8 billion people. What the presidency said President Muhammadu Buhari’s Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Garba Shehu, in a statement warned that the president’s statement on almajiri should not be interpreted to mean an immediate ban on the age-long almajiri system. “The abrogation of the Almajiri system of education (Qur’anic learning system associated with begging on economic and religious grounds peculiar to northern states) remains an objective, but there is no immediate ban of it by the Buhari administration, as widely reported by the media. “The presidency, therefore, calls for caution in responses to the pronouncements by President Muhammadu Buhari on free and compulsory basic education for every child of primary and junior secondary school age in Nigeria, during his speech on Thursday, June 20, at the inauguration of the National Economic Council (NEC). “The presidency notes that while the Buhari administration is committed to free and compulsory education as a long-term objective of bringing to an end, the phenomenon of out-of-school children, any necessary ban on Almajiri would follow due process and consultation with relevant authorities. “Indeed, the federal government wants a situation where every child of primary school age is in school rather than begging on the streets during school hours,” the statement read in part. Shehu said that the presidency did not want to create panic in the people. “Reports that there are plans for massive arrest of parents are definitely out of place. Things have to be done the right and considerate way. “Free and compulsory primary school education is a requirement of the Nigerian constitution and any individual or group not in compliance with this is violating the law of the land and liable to be punished.’ Earlier in his speech at the inauguration of NEC, President Buhari stated clearly that the country’s children have rights which must be given and protected under the law, adding that for long the almajiri system had remained a phenomenon that presented security challenges and scars on the face of northern Nigeria. “On education, I want to stress in particular the need to take very seriously and enforce very rigorously the statutory provisions on free and compulsory basic education. Section 18(3) of the 1999 Constitution as amended places on all of us here an obligation to eradicate illiteracy and provide free and compulsory education… It is indeed a crime for any parent to keep his child out of school for this period. In my view, when a government fails to provide the schools, teachers and teaching materials necessary for basic education, it is actually aiding and abetting that crime. “This is, therefore, a call to action. I would like to see every governor rise from this meeting and rally his local government chairmen towards ensuring that our schools offer the right opportunities and provide the needed materials and teachers for basic education, at the minimum.” National Security Adviser The National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno on his own part, noted that the almajiri children had become a problem to the society, adding that education is every child’s right. He also admitted that drivers of insecurity in the country included unemployment, poverty and increasing population. “I also made suggestions regarding the way forward which include employment creation and reduction of poverty, and the culture of impunity and looking at stabilizing certain areas of the country by giving rise to affordable education. “This is very important because in most parts of the country we have a lot of children roaming around without any formal education. And as the president has mentioned earlier when he was inaugurating the national economic council, we need to make education compulsory and free for every child in the country. “Because the problem we face today are rooted in the fact that a lot of people who have been denied the opportunity, basically the opportunity to get formal education, end up as criminals. “Over the years, there is accumulation of large mass of human beings who end up becoming criminals, drug addicts and so on and so forth. “And they end up becoming tools to be used by elements in the wider society who have very dangerous intentions. “And therefore, it is very important to proscribe certain groups ultimately running around under the guise of maybe getting some kind of education that is not really formal and then begin to cagonu saiuse a lot of problems for society.” Mond.