The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has called on beggars to direct their solicitations to the government rather than to individuals and relatives.
Sanusi made the call on Saturday at the National Conference on Alarammomi (Qur’anic Teachers) organised by Centre for Qur’anic Reciters in Nigeri.
The Conference, which held at the Development Institute (MDI), in Dutse, the state capital, was theme: “Sanitising Almajirchi In Tune With Today’s Realities”.
The former Central Bank Governor, urged parents to stop sending their children to Almajiri schools, pointing out that children could study the Qur’an, at their schools and with the teachers in their respective communities.
The emir said that if sending children to such schools become necessary, then parents must send them with all the necessary provisions to ensure their wellbeing and welfare.
The emir , quoting verses from the Holy Qur’an and Hadith, noted that whoever begs, would resurrect on the day of judgement without flesh on his face.
He, therefore, urged husbands to see it as God-given duty to feed their wives and children adequately in order for them not to resort to begging for alms and assistance from individuals or relatives.
“Begging is disallowed in Islam and if you must beg for alms beg the government not individuals or relatives.
“It is better for you to cut firewood and sell to earn a living than to beg.
“Those who beg or seek assistance from individuals will be resurrected on the day of judgement without meat/flesh on their faces.
“And if you must beg, then beg the government not individuals or relatives. This is because they should be responsible for the welfare and wellbeing of citizens.
“Individuals, relatives or neighbours can assist you as gestures of kindness and generosity, but that’s not necessary.
“So, those who are saying that begging is not prohibited in Islam are just misleading you,” Sanusi said.
The emir, therefore, tasked government at all levels on social protection programmes in order to check such menaces in society.
“Programmes like cash transfer and many more can assist in tackling these problems. So, we urge the government to sustain the cash transfer programme and come up with many more,” the emir said.
Also speaking, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, aligned with the emir, while adding that no father should send children to Almajiri school without proper and adequate provision for their wellbeing.
“For instance, in Sokoto we built over 100 schools close to Almajiri schools for such to learn at least ABCD and 1234.
“So, we must change the system in order to ensure brighter future for our children,” he said.
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Abubakar also urged the participants to take what was said with all Seriousness and digest the issues discussed in order to come up with ways to sensitising the Almajiri system.
The sultan said that he would join Sanusi and others in a collaboration with the centre in finding lasting solutions to the problem.
“As leaders, I urge you to critically look into what’s been discussed and later come up with a lasting solution.
“However, your solutions should be channeled to us through your leadership because the number is large, and for that it will not be possible for each and everyone of you to speak.”
In his remarks, Sen. Sani Yeriman-Bakura, a former governor of Zamfara state, pointed out that during his eight years as governor in the state, begging by such children was stopped.
“As governments have systems to assist farmers and traders, so we did in area of Almajiri schools.
“Nobody begged during our eight years in office in Zamfara. This is because we ensured that these children were fed adequately and that’s what stopped them begging.
“In fact, at the end of my tenure, we left 150 tonnes of food for such programmes,” he said.
Yariman-Bakura pointed out that if authorities would take their responsibilities seriously, no parent would be willing to send their children to other places.
On his part, the Jigawa Deputy Gov. Umar Namadi, said the government was doing its best to enroll all out of school children.
Namadi said the government’s decision to feed pupils from primary four to six under the federal government’s school feeding programme was yielding positive result.
“Jigawa government is doing its best to ensure that all out of school children in the state are enrolled.
“We’re doing this through the school feeding programme, as we feed pupils from primary four to six, while the federal government feeds pupils from primary one to three.
“So, this gesture is seriously taking out such out of school children as it immensely increases enrollment in our schools.
“Also through SUBEB, the government is doing its best to ensure the wellbeing of students of Tsangaya schools in the state.”
He added that the state government had built 400 Islamiyya schools across the state.
The conference was attended by over 1,000 Qur’anic teachers attended the conference held in Manpower.