Enroll Your Child into Almajiri System and be Jailed-El-Rufai

Mallam Nasir El-Rufai the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, is a leader who is known to be a no nonsense man, because when he says he will achieve a target, he actually does achieve it, as the Minister of FCT changed the face of the Federal Capital Territory while in office.

Though some condemned his actions while some praised him for that, now Rufai being the Governor of Kaduna state is about to do the usual.

Almajiri is not what it used to be, as it was supposed to be known as followers, just like we have the apostles, monks and the rest of them so is Almajiri. But instead of the known aim of teaching young Muslims the Islamic rites and religion, some of the mallams use these kids as a means of meeting their own daily needs as these kids and some of the grownups go around begging for food and other things.

Some of the parents of the Almajiris comes there and abandon their children and forget about them just to shy away from their responsibilities.

Rufai has expressed his concerns on the need to put a stop to such a trend and disclosed that the children will be enrolled in a compulsory enrolment of Almajiris into schools to end the almajiri system adopted by some people who use such a medium to shy away from their parenting responsibilities.

He said: the state will enroll all the Almajiris repatriated to the state into a compulsory education in a bid to chart a new path for them, and to use this medium to completely eradicate the Almajiri system that has been in existence for a very long period of time.

The Governor also, added that anyone that enrolls his or her child into the Almajiri system will be jailed and he is serious about it.

He said yesterday that the former child urchins were being restored full human rights, dignity and hope as children. “Every child in Kaduna has equal opportunity and access to 12 years of free and compulsory education in our public schools,” he said.

This is even as the Pan-Northern socio-cultural organization, Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, and Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, threw their weights behind the governor, insisting that they would support any policy that would rehabilitate the Almajirai for good.

However, the Joint Association of Northern Youth Groups said unless Northern governors revived the programme former President Goodluck Jonathan put in place for the Almajiri children, the desired objective might not be achieved. Governor El-Rufa’i said on his Facebook page that he was “pleased to see our Almajiri children, the batch of 218 from Kano, Nassarawa, Plateau & Gombe States looking well & free of COVID-19.”

“With the support of @UNICEF_Nigeria, AMA Foundation, other NGOs & philanthropists, they are being restored full human rights, dignity & hope as children! Every child in Kaduna has equal opportunity and access to 12 years of free and compulsory education in our public schools.”

The governor disclosed that the next step was for the Commissioner of Human Services and Social Development, Mrs Hafsat Baba, and her team to return the Almajirai to their parents in collaboration with local government chairmen and traditional rulers.

“All the children are to be compulsorily enrolled in the primary school nearest to them so they have modern education and life skills in the morning, and continue their Quranic or Islamic education in the afternoon and over the weekend. Junaid Mohammed “That is how many of us got our education. That is what the Northern States’ Governors’ Forum decided.

These children may be the future of Northern Nigeria,” he said. Wonderful idea — ACF Reacting to El-Rufa’i’s statement on the Almajiri children, the National Publicity Secretary of Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, Emmanuel Yawe, said: “It’s a wonderful idea; any policy that will turn the Almajirai into useful citizens the ACF will support it.” It could be recalled that the ACF had earlier declared support for the Northern Governors on Almajirai repatriation.

ACF spokesman had said: “The decision to repatriate Almajirai to their states was taken by the Northern Governors Forum and we have no quarrel with that because we don’t believe in the almajiri system. “It’s a retrogressive system. We don’t believe in it at all. It’s against the human development of the North and the development of the country.

So, the ACF is against the almajiri system. “So, the decision of the governors to take them to their states of origin and the state to find their families, we totally agree with it. This is because if somebody has given birth to a child, he should be in a position to look after that child and not throw the child onto the streets.

“We support that decision. But the only problem is with the implementation. The implementation is very clumsy and the governors should sit up and implement in a proper way.” I support el-Rufai, says Junaid Mohammed

Also reacting yesterday, Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, said he was throwing his full weight behind Governor el-Rufai. Dr. Junaid Mohammed in a phone interview with Vanguard, said the governor should be encouraged for doing the right thing. “I support it because clearly the issue has become a nuisance. As far as I’m concerned, whoever wants to send children to school should be encouraged.

“This is so because refusing to send the children to school or have education is like an abuse on those children. So I support it; I endorse what he plans to do,” he said. Arewa Youths express support The Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, AYCF, also backed the governor on his mission.

Speaking in a telephone chat with Vanguard in Abuja, President of AYCF, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, urged other Northern governors to follow the footsteps of Governor El-rufai in this regard. He said: “We’re excited with the news because the Almajirai is not different from any other Nigerian child. So, Governor El-Rufai’s move is a welcome development to us.

“However, it is a shame some people still do not believe the Almajirai should be fully integrated into the society so that they can become meaningful members. “The Almajiri is a child with the basic rights to education.

The Child Rights Act does not exist only for privileged children. The Almajiri boy may, indeed, hold the key to the future of this nation if properly educated.

“So, we urge other governors to do replicate in their respective state what Gov. El-rufai plans to do for the Almajiris in Kaduna.”

‘Go back to Jonathan’s almajiri template’ But Murtala Abubakar, Convener of the Joint Action Committee of Northern Youth Associations, said the governor’s statement should be viewed with caution.

“The governor is known for making promises regarding the education of children of the masses in the past just to make headlines.

The problem militating against the almajiri system of education is lack of political will and consensus among the critical stakeholders.

“What the governor is advocating is not going to work; the system needs reforms not abolition.

Therefore, what the Northern governors need is to replicate President Goodluck Jonathan’s   template and make improvement where necessary.

“Deportations of these children by one governor to another is not only counter-productive but also dehumanizing as it stands condemned.”

By: Ayooluwa Joshua