By Femi Oluwasanmi
SIR: Over the years, several promises have been made by both the governments to end the menace of Almajeris from the streets across the country.
Some even built Almajeri schools while others accused the state government of not doing enough to end the menace. However, despite the lamentations and promises, the number of children out of school, especially the Almajeris continues to increase daily.
According to the data released by UNICEF in 2014, the number of the Almajeri children wandering on the streets is 9.5 million, making it 75 per cent of the total number of children out of school in Nigeria today.
Currently, the country is home to 13.5 million of children out of school. These should be the leaders of tomorrow; the future of the nation wandering around the street while they ought to be warming up to contribute to the nation’s workforce. No wonder why the level of insecurity continues to increase in the country.
As matter of fact, there is no nation that can attain full development without putting in place measures to ensure that children are given the right culture and knowledge at the appropriate time.
This is because an idle mind is the laboratory of the devil. That is the reason it is believe that there is a strong nexus between the increase in the level of insecurity and the number of children out of school in Nigeria.
Boko Haram for instance, has continued to wax stronger despite the nation’s humongous budget for security because it has access to the army of out of school children in the North Eastern region of the country.
These children, most of the time, have no access to good food, good accommodation and others. Some do not even know their parents.
In fact, some have been so traumatized by this harsh life that they see no difference between the Hobbesian state where life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short” and the Nigerian State thus making them vulnerable to the manipulation by unscrupulous elements in the society.
Based on media reports, the of Boko Haram killed by the military within this ten years of guerilla war is more than ten thousand but, they continue to wreak havoc on the people in the region because of their ability to manipulate these children and make them believe their cause.
According to data released by the Global Conflict Tracker, 2019, the number of people killed by the Boko Harram since 2011 till date stands at more than 37,000, while those displaced by the sect are more than two millions.
In the Southern part of the country, the story remains the same as criminals continue to capitalize on the availability of the out of school children to perpetuate kidnapping, killings, stealing and other anti-societal activities.
The most pathetic is the recruitment of grown up ones among these children for thuggery, ballot boxes snatching and stuffing during elections by the political elites.
Unfortunately, those that are lucky to have little knowledge among these people tend to be radical due to the inhuman treatment received from the environment they found themselves during their childhood.
However, some of the state governments that even try to show concern are doing that using abnormal approach. Some of them formed a task force that chases these children as if they are chasing armed robbers.
In some cases, they are being arrested and remanded with hardened criminals where they possess more resistance attitude for their return.
As a matter of fact, there is no automatic future anywhere. Everything that happens on Earth happens because they are planned for.
Read Also: ‘Northern governors frustrating basic education for Almajiris’
A nation that fails to plan for its future will surely live in the future it sees. Nigeria is rated first among the Nations with the height number of out of school children in the world today because of the failure of the past governments to plan for the future and it remains unabated because the current administration is paying lip service to it.
The current administration continues to issue statements upon statements, making promises upon promises even to the extent of shifting the blames on the state government. However, the daily increase in the numbers of children out of school shows that action so far portends grave danger for the future
Instead, what seems to dominate both government and public discourses is the issue of 37 billion Naira for the renovation of National Assembly built with lesser amount, all in the name of better representation while those they claim to be represent are seriously battling poverty, education mishap, epileptic power supply and other things that only exist in a state where planning has failed.
Therefore, it is high time to move from the level of promise making to the level of implementation. This is because, a statement without an action is just like a tree without fruits.
- Femi Oluwasanmi, Ibafo, Ogun State
Leave a Reply