The apex body of Islamic religious scholars in Kano state, the Council of Ulama, has disagreed with the state government’s directive banning street begging, saying it isn’t realistic and lacks seriousness on the part of the government.

This is coming a day after the state governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, banned street begging in the state.

Governor Ganduje had on Tuesday gave the directive as part of measures to integrate the Almajiri pupils into the free and compulsory primary and secondary school education programme of the state government.

The governor disclosed this at the launching of Basic Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) and distribution of Offer of Appointment to 7,500 volunteer teachers in the state.
Governor Ganduje, who lamented the ugly trend of street begging, said, “This policy of free and compulsory basic and secondary education goes along with integration of pupils of Almajiri system of education into the mainstream policy implementation which provides that English and Arithmetic must be included in the Almajiri schools curriculum.

“While they will continue acquiring Qur’anic education, they would as well learn English and Arithmetic. We will give them opportunity to continue with their studies to secondary schools and beyond.

“A total of 7,500 newly recruited teacher volunteers under the BESDA programme were employed and given letters of appointment and would be posted to Islamiyyah and Almajiri schools, so that the Almajiri schools would be fully integrated under the new policy of education,” he explained.

The governor further warned that if any Almajiri is caught engaged in street begging, the parent or guardian of such child would be taken to court for disrespecting the law banning the practice.

But addressing newsmen in Kano on Wednesday, the chairman, Kano state Council of Ulama, Sheikh Ibrahim Khaleel, revealed that the steps toward addressing the issue has not been taken by the state government.

He stressed that there is need for all forms of begging to be identified and also for all stakeholders to be involved in the process before taking such decision, adding that failure to do may marred the whole issue.

“For the ban to work, there has to be cooperation between the government and the Qur’anic clerics.  There is the need to dialogue with them, get their statistics, reasons for begging and also get to know the number of those involved; only then will you be able to make the demarcation.

“There is also a need for collaboration with other neighboring states if really something positive is to be attained,” he said.

Sheikh Khaleel urged the state government to consult widely with all stakeholders and the Ulama to find a sustainable right approach to end street begging in the state effectively.